Child-safe home
and Martina Feichter, medical editor and biologistMartina Feichter studied biology with an elective subject pharmacy in Innsbruck and also immersed herself in the world of medicinal plants. From there it was not far to other medical topics that still captivate her to this day. She trained as a journalist at the Axel Springer Academy in Hamburg and has been working for since 2007 - first as an editor and since 2012 as a freelance writer.
More about the experts All content is checked by medical journalists.
Many accidents with children do not happen in traffic, but in your own four walls. Infants and toddlers in particular almost always have accidents at home.
Children who can crawl or walk are very active and curious. For this reason, you should keep the environment of small children largely safe. Children of this age are not yet able to recognize dangers and avoid them. Only from around the age of four do children increasingly develop an awareness of dangers - through learning from their own experiences and explanatory tips from their parents. However, it will take a long time before they can identify risks in advance and avoid or avert them through appropriate behavior.
How do you secure the kitchen and living area?
For children, the kitchen is certainly one of the most exciting, but also one of the most dangerous rooms in the house. Various measures help to make the kitchen more child-proof:
You can secure drawers in two different ways: A stopper prevents the drawer from being pulled out completely and then falling on the child. Other systems prevent the drawer from opening. They are better suited as stoppers because children can easily get their fingers caught in drawers.
Small hooks on kitchen cabinets, for example, prevent children from opening them. This is especially important on cupboards that contain chemicals such as washing powder, dish soap, kerosene, turpentine, grill lighters, drain cleaners or flower fertilizers.
With electrical devices (such as kettles), make absolutely sure that neither the device itself nor its cable are within reach of the child. Shorten the leads of your kitchen appliances, or at least make sure they are out of your child's reach. Put away kitchen appliances immediately after use.
You can secure the stove with a grid that keeps children's fingers away from hot stovetops as well as pot and pan handles. Always turn the stems backwards and only use the back plates if possible.
Do not leave knives lying around open.
Further tips for more child safety in the kitchen and living room:
- Tables with hard corners and edges at children's head height are dangerous. There are rubber corners to defuse these sources of danger.
- A pinch protection on the door prevents the child from pinching their fingers or hands. It is either placed on the door leaf or hooked into the hinge.
- Close doors to rooms that you do not want the child to enter.
- Shelves are sometimes exciting climbing frames for children. To secure them from falling over, attach the shelves to the wall with angle irons.
- Loose carpets and mats are dangerous if you take unsafe steps. Rubber mats prevent larger carpets from sliding and wrinkling. It is best to ban small rugs and mats from the apartment until the child is older.
- Electrical installations must be secured throughout the house. This applies to sockets and junction boxes. Special plastic attachments offer good protection. Loose connections, inadequate device covers and uninsulated cables are life-threatening - not just for children.
- Block the stairs with a stair gate. Stairs are dangerous for children up to about five years of age.
- Secure the windows in good time before the child starts climbing. Systems are available from specialist retailers to prevent windows from opening wider than a few centimeters. As for doors, there is also anti-trap protection for windows.
What should you back up in the bathroom?
- Store medication, cleaning supplies and cosmetics in such a way that your children cannot access them, for example in a lockable cupboard.
- Never leave your child alone in the bathtub! A toddler can drown in water just a few centimeters deep.
- Use tub and shower liners to prevent your child from slipping on the wet floor.
- Remove all electrical devices such as toothbrushes, hair dryers, and razors from the vicinity of the sink and bathtub.
- Put thermostats on the faucets or lower the temperature of the hot water throughout the house. This will prevent your child from getting burned if the taps are opened accidentally.
- Remove the key from the bathroom door to prevent your child from locking themselves in. You always have to be able to open the door quickly in an emergency.
.jpg)
