SEATTLE, Dec. 6, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — ‘Tis the season to deck the halls with boughs of holly and prep every other room in the house to host a party or welcome guests. House cleaning, decorations, festive foods, desserts, and beverages are likely on the list already, but if any potential guests are under the age of 5, a few simple steps can help mitigate avoidable bumps, owies, spills, and serious injuries.
The babyproofing section of most hardware stores will have cabinet locks, rug pads, and rubbery edge protectors for sharp corners on tables and countertops. Some other quick fixes are easy to put up, easy to take down, and can provide homeowners with ongoing value.
A Tip for Thee, Protect the More than the Tree
Kids are curious creatures, especially around natural or artificial indoor Christmas trees adorned with candy canes, glittering ornaments, and twinkling lights.
- Christmas trees are easy to tip over, so until Christmas morning, it’s best to direct attention away from unattended trees. A designated activity area away from the tree can allow kids plenty of time to play while adults gather to talk.
- Keep the Menorah on a solid base, out of reach from anything that can be pulled out from under it (like a table runner) or blow into it (like curtains).
- Inexpensive Anti-tip Kits are a good investment for dressers and shelving units.
- Keep cookie jars, punch bowls, candy dishes, etc. out of eyesight until served.
#2: Adopt a Herd Mentality
Party hosts typically want guests to stay in the communal areas. The classic baby gate can ensure guests don’t stray into bedrooms, offices, or other areas that homeowners prefer to keep private. Pressure-mounted baby gates are a great temporary option for hallways, but homeowners should anchor stairwell gates to the wall.
#3: Address Choking Hazards
Window blind cords are a threat to babies, toddlers, and pets. Be sure to tie these up and anchor them to the wall out of reach. Simple adhesive or screw-anchored wall hooks are an easy solution, along with simple knots you can learn to tie online.
#4: A Shock Buffer Stocking Stuffer
Most every room of every home presents two potential electric shock sources. Electrical outlets can produce a severe if not fatal shock if contacted with a metal utensil or toy. Thankfully, most modern homes were built with Tamper-Resistant Electrical Receptacles, designed to ward against the types of shocks curious kids can cause. For older homes, plastic electric outlet caps are a cheap and easy way to protect every outlet not in use.
The walls of most modern homes are also lined with phone and ethernet jacks, USB outlets, and coaxial studs. If the wiring within is contacted by tiny fingers, or metallic or wet objects in a child’s hands, the person might receive a mild electrical shock – one that might be more scary than dangerous. Should kids ground food (peanut butter, ice cream, frosting, etc.) into these outlets – or poke at them with common household objects, the outlets can be quickly broken and expensive to repair.
Coaxial studs also offer the additional threat of bruising should a baby or toddler fall onto one. This is why Ryan Ames of Seattle invented OutletGuard – the easy and affordable home babyproofing solution to protect toddlers and babies from all those other outlets – and vice versa. A single OutletGuard Variety Pack comes with five covers to meet the child safety needs in any given room: Coaxial, Ethernet, AC+USB, and top and bottom mounted USB outlets. Available now for $10 with FREE shipping at MyOutletGuard.com.
Media Contact:
Keith Creighton
(206) 468-9988
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SOURCE OutletGuard Solutions
