" Important protective measures for life with small children "

From the moment they are born, babies turn their parents' lives upside down. Hardly anything stays the way it was before. To ensure that the little ones can move around freely at home and that the risk of accidents is as low as possible, parents should make their home childproof. We will go through your home room by room with you and point out where there are potential dangers and what to look out for. We also give you tips for improved child safety.

How childproof does the home need to be? It depends on the age

Depending on the age of your child, different safety measures are necessary within your own four walls. Shortly after birth, a baby is still completely independent. It becomes dangerous as soon as it can crawl.

Toddler in a dangerous situation

This is when the child safety lock on the gate and door suddenly becomes indispensable. Before an accident happens, you should now secure sockets and cupboards. Electricity in general and sockets in particular are undeniable sources of danger. When the baby grows into a toddler and learns to walk, new risks arise in the home. Doorknobs and handles are suddenly within reach. Electrical appliances want to be explored and the stairs invite extensive leg training.

If you want to make your home childproof, it's best to take the perspective of a baby or toddler.

What can you see crawling on the floor and reach with short arms? What is in the way when they first try to walk and what could they hold on to if they lose their balance? Some cables or carpet edges are only noticeable from this perspective.

Safety in the children's room

You need to make the furniture childproof, especially in the children's room. This is where your child spends the majority of their time, playing, sleeping and indulging their whims and curiosity. As small children in particular like to pull themselves up on shelves or even climb up various pieces of furniture, you should secure all cupboards. A firm strap between the wall and the top of the cupboard prevents it from tipping forwards.

Safety in the children's room

To prevent climbing, store the children's toys or cuddly toys at the bottom of the shelf. They are easily accessible there. Heavy objects should also be stored as close to the floor as possible. The popular bunk beds are only safe for children if they are fitted with a high railing. It is also advisable to install a smoke detector in the children's room. When it comes to toys, there are recommendations as to what is suitable from what age. A baby should only be given large, stable things, such as gripper cars and push toys.

Toddlers also run the risk of swallowing small individual parts. The eyes of cuddly toys, for example, are an eminent source of danger. If these are torn off, they quickly disappear into the mouth. Such soft toys should therefore always be manufactured to a high standard.

Avoiding hazards in the kitchen and bathroom

To make the home safe for children, you need to take a closer look at the kitchen and bathroom. If there are things stored in drawers or cupboards that children should not be allowed to reach, locks or multi-point locks should be used to prevent access.

Toddler discovers dangerous household items

This could be the cleaning products cupboard or the cosmetics drawer, for example. Locks are fitted on the inside of drawers and only leave a small gap open.

Multi-point locks are fitted to the outside of doors and drawers. They are too difficult for children's small hands to unlock.

Never leave your child alone in the bath. Anti-slip mats on the floor of baths and showers prevent accidental slips. The taps can be fitted with a type of child safety device that does not allow high water temperatures.

Toddler at the stove

Children spend a lot of time in the kitchen and there are many potential sources of danger. First and foremost, the stove and oven must be childproof. This can be achieved by fitting a safety grill that prevents the child from accessing pots and pans on the plates. When the stove is off, it covers the switches. On older models, the oven window gets very hot. An additional window guard protects against burns.

For the food itself, special children's crockery is recommended. It is robust and will not break if dropped. Likewise children's cutlery is available that is smaller, less sharp and pointed than conventional cutlery.

How to childproof the rest of the home

Sockets are a major source of danger for small children. There are two types of childproofing for this: a permanent fuse, which allows the sockets to continue to be used, and a childproof fuse, which is removed from the sockets with a tool or key if necessary. With regard to electrical cables and appliances, it is also important to ensure that the cables are laid safely. They should be protected against being torn off and tripped over.

Sockets are a major source of danger for small children

Especially at the beginning, children are still very insecure when walking around the home. Therefore, make the usual walking routes childproof. This ranges from removing high carpets and other tripping hazards to corner and edge protection on furniture. Small foam cushions significantly reduce the risk of injury. Non-slip slippers such as sturdy baby slippers provide additional grip on slippery floors.

In children's rooms and hallways, a night light prevents disoriented stumbling around in the dark. If you have stairs in your home, make them childproof with a stair guard. This is variable in width and can be clamped between the wall and the banister. This prevents your child from climbing the stairs alone.

Regular practice on the stairs and anti-slip protection on slippery steps will make the stair guard unnecessary after a while.

What else you should make childproof

The final candidates for childproofing are doors and windows. Doors are where the risk of trapping little fingers is greatest. Either close doors completely or fix them in a certain position with a stopper. Another option is to use a pinch guard to prevent the door from falling into the lock. Never leave windows and balcony doors open unattended. Children are very creative in finding climbing aids and looking outside or over the railing. The relatively heavy head will then almost inevitably be pulled towards the floor. Window locks that also allow ventilation in a certain position and safety bars on the balcony can help here.

Breach of duty of supervision

There are many other sources of danger lurking in an apartment. As you cannot be prepared for everything, it is important that your child responds reliably to a firm "no". This is also important when visiting friends or family who may not have a child safety lock in their socket. As an alternative to childproofing, you should also make your children safe. This means regular exercise and movement games to encourage balance and coordination. More safety when moving around reduces the risk of falls most efficiently.