Kids are curious and they have to reach every nook and corner of your house. Explore – that’s his mantra. As a parent or guardian, though you smile at his mischievous ways, you can’t brush aside the nagging feeling of “will it hurt him?” This is precisely why you need to keep your home play-friendly for the little one. And as a responsible and caring elder, you know that risk-proof equals child-friendly. Don’t stop your child from being creative. As they say, prevention is better. So before the TV Cabinet becomes doll house, hair dryer becomes gun and microwave becomes toy cabinet; protect your electronic items and your child and be carefree. You can even start child-proofing while your baby is still safe in the womb. After all, you know what’s best for the kid.
Step-by-step guide to keep your home appliances safe from kids
1. Secure your TV to the living room wall
Say goodbye to the cabinet. The Consumer Product Safety Group reported more than 15,000 injuries to children in 2006 from televisions falling on them, and more than 10 deaths a year, on average. Anchor TV to the wall with products like the Safety 1st ProGrade Flat Screen TV Lock ($25). It keeps your TV away from your child as it is kept at a height from the floor so that they can’t reach it.
2. Lock-up handy items
Handy components go behind a plexiglass shield or locked in a cabinet. Remote controls, i-pods, DVD players are all nothing but toys to the toddler’s mind. And most of the times they end up chewing on them. It’s time you took control by the following ways:
a. Media cabinet with a child lock is a simple way
How about a remote extender kit, like the Logitech Harmony IR Extender System ($55)? It’s so functional after all. It has a small receiver next to your TV for IR commands from any IR remote control which retransmits those commands to the components inside your cabinet.
b. Cover the components with a custom plexiglass shield
A roll of clear Velcro tape will do. While measuring; leave a quarter-inch besides the two longest sides for ventilation. Your local home improvement store will cut plexiglass sheet to your measurements. Smooth rough edges. Apply the rough hook side of the Velcro to the plexiglass and the soft loop side to the shelving. If you use your DVD or Blu-Ray drive extensively, you can make yourself a custom slot or tray cutting it out from a sheet.
3. Button shields work best for exposed panels
A button shield, like the Safety 1st TV Button Shield ($9) will cover exposed buttons on TV side so your child will play more with dolls and toys rather than TV.
4. Cover those cords
Kids and cords are a recipe for accidents for sure. Cord concealer like the Belkin HideAway Concealer ($20) comes handy or you could manage cables with zip ties or even a wrap which comes for around $15 for eight feet. Moreover it keeps people from falling over them.
5. Shield your powerstrips
The Safety First Power Cover ($10) or surge protector with a cover built-in, like the Belkin Outlet Surge Protector ($25) guards powerstrips ensuring that there are no accidents.
6. Open sockets are a big no-no
Safety 1st Outlet Cover with Cord Shortener is to stop playful hands from yanking plugs out of the wall whereas the KidCo Universal Outlet Cover ($9) works well for preventing small fingers from being inserted into sockets.
7. Sharp corners need protective bumpers
Sharp corners on furniture need corner protectors to prevent accidental cuts. You can use the Safety first Corner Cushions ($8). To prevent covers from falling off you can use a stronger adhesive, however it may take the finish off your furniture but it will prevent accidents. Otherwise you can add matching edge protectors ($17) in between the corners, so they don’t stick out as much. This will ensure that there are no accidents.
