How do you make your home safe? Paedetrician's Warning

[missslc]

Our son is just starting to walk and pull at things so we are trying to child proof our one level home.

Now we have already done the obvious like make cupboards safe, move harmful liquid stuff but we are now looking at our flat screen tv in the corner and wondering how to prevent him getting near it.

What do people do? I am guessing just gate off the whole area with special gates?

The reason we are suddenly so concerned is we have just got back from hospital- baby has had bronchiolitis and 3 paedetricians all made a point of asking how secure how home was( theye were lovely and really trying to alert us to the risks). One of the things they said was that they see children on the ward with 'utterly horrifying' injuries from heavy things ( eg tv) falling onto them. So we are very motivated to find a solution before our son is fully walking.We cannot bracket the tv on the wall as we are in an earthquake area and the wall is not strong enough.

When you look on line there is so much but we want to know what people have used and has worked?

Thanks

[MinimalistMommi]

The was a hole on the base of our TV stand attached to the Sony TV, we drilled a hole into our wooden TV stand that TV sits on and actually screwed TV into it so there was no chance of it being pulled over.

[Cloverer]

What is odd, Wishi?
Huge flatscreen TVs are a pretty new feature in most homes and much easier to pull over than CRTs, so definitely worth thinking about.

[WhoKnowsWhereTheTimeGoes]

Rotary washing lines are another strangulation hazard, in the lowered position, either leave them up permanently, put a cover on or put it in the shed when not in use.

[pooka]

Pah. Didnt realise was zombie thread and possible ad to boot.

[Pagwatch]

This is a thread from 2010 MumAtVineCottage.

I don't expect the op needs the advice anymore. Her child is probably at uni.

You don't have any connection to the company you mention do you?

[Wishiwasanheiress]

This is odd. I just spend time with the kids and say NO an awful lot. They learn fast.

[pooka]

Don't get socket covers. They are actually more dangerous.

www.fatallyflawed.org.uk

[ZangelbertBingeldac]

"And the sockets. A baby who is only rolling can get fingers in a socket. You can't have too many socket covers."

I disagree with this. Socket covers can make plugs MORE unsafe than not having them.

OP, we have a flatscreen TV on a wooden TV stand and we bought a bracket that is screwed on to the tv stand which means the TV can't be pulled over. I wouldn't let DH bring the flatscreen TV into the house without one of these.

[Manchesterhistorygirl]

My friend in LA has her flat screen on the wall, I actually visited when it was being done and that was an earthquake proof method apparently. Failing that bolt the bugger to the stand and floor.

[MumAtVineCottage]

When we lived in Australia there was a safety brand called Dreambaby that made all sorts of stuff to keep the home safe and it wasn't expensive. We used their TV Straps to secure our flat screen TV to the TV cabinet, it was very reassuring to know it could not tip. I have noticed that you can now get this product here in England. Hope this helps.

[PartialToACupOfMilo]

My MIL told me the other week how SIL had pulled their TV onto herself when she was little and how we should bolt ours to the stand. LO had until that point shown no interest in touching the TV and MIL is known to exaggerate, so I told her we didn't need to. Then literally about a week later dd started to go up to the TV and pull herself up on the stand, so I'm reading this thread with interest.

I think we're just going to push the TV (flat screen) to the back of the stand so she can't reach it and see how much interest she then shows in it and think about maybe bolting it down. We already bought a door for the stand (good old Ikea ) so she can't get to the DVD etc.

We don't have any socket covers or anything really other than a stairgate on the kitchen. Not that I mind her being in the kitchen, but it's up a step and round the corner from the TV and before it went up I caught her hanging off the edge of the step craning her neck to watch the TV - so it's more to stop her falling out...

[camflower]

I was Reading this lying in bed bfing ds and worrying about how dangerous my house was when I dropped my iPhone on his head and made him cry

[Appletrees]

And the sockets. A baby who is only rolling can get fingers in a socket. You can't have too many socket covers.

[Appletrees]

I would say, those door things at the top of doors to stop them closing.

Also I would say, teach your child how to go up and down stairs as early as possible, even before they can walk. It doesn't mean you don't need stairgates but it's an important extra precaution.

[frikadela]

Best advice is to teach them no and to expect to have the odd accident. My young cousins (both toddlers) have the most baby proofed house of anyone I have ever met yet both have been in A&E countless times for bumps and bangs. And neither can be trusted in other peoples houses as its like an aladdins cave of things they cant touch in their own house.

[FanjoKazooie]

Old style tv is much worse. MIL broke her leg when one fell on her, thank god it was her leg and not a toddlers head.

[ray81]

I never childproofed and my DD1 is 8, the only accidents we had were hot tea (my Fault) and a fall down the stairs again my fault for leaving gate open. With everything else i just taught no and moved her away from whatever it was she was doing. Childrens minds are like sponges they learn very quickly. I found this helped when we went to others houses as she knew what she could and couldnt do.

DD2 is 5 months and i wont be doing too much childproofing other then stairgates and a lock for the cupboard under the sink. If i need to so something that requires me to leave her i will put her in cot to play.

[TrinityRhino]

I just had a playpen and taught them no

else how can you go to other peoples houses?

[Morloth]

I find lots "No!" the most effective form of babyproofing. Also tossing them in their cot if you need to do something when they will be alone works a treat.

They don't always like it very much but they get over it.

[hidingunderthecovaarrrggghh]

I wouldn't go bonkers with childproofing. I found it easier to childproof one room totally (DS's bedroom) so I had a place I could leave him for more than a few seconds (to have a shower, go to the toilet, hang the washing out).

In the other rooms i did the minimum (cupboard lock on under-sink cupboard for instance, gate on stairs). For everything else I just keep my eyes and ears open - mainly for worrying silences that means some trouble is underway!

[Frrrrightattendant]

We keep our TV on the floor, that way it can't fall off anything. It just sits in an alcove, the fireplace etc. It's a CRT.

If you have it on a wooden table perhaps it could go towards the back of the table.

Kids tend to be obsessed with one thing at a time, get bored with it after a week and move on. You get a feeling for when the dangerous phase has passed, say with sockets, or the loo or whatever.

Stop worrying so much, it's unlikely anything dreadful will happen to your child, maybe a minor knock or two - it's inevitable.

[mathanxiety]

Can't really talk, as DD1 drank bleach, DS electrocuted himself by putting a staple in an outlet (in the US), and rode his little plastic car down the same flight of ten outside stairs twice in one weekend, DD2 let herself out the front door and ran off to the local park unbeknownst to me at age 3, DD3 was a climber of bookcases who was utterly fascinated by the TV, and DD4 fell down the stairs twice in the same day while a crawler/walker, resulting in a trip to the emergency room and questions from the doctors such as, 'Who was looking after the baby?' and, 'Where were the gates?'

[LBsmum]

we recently purchased on line a strap for a flat screen tv that fixs the tv to stand, it was sold as a device to protect your tv from falling in an earthquake - so hopefully child -proof