Your home should be the safest place your children know. Accidents do happen, however. It is up to you to safeguard your children from many of the pitfalls they may come across as they grow. Around the home, the list of safety precautions is endless. Even the smallest things can prevent an accident. Both inside and outside of the home, as a parent you are always on the look out for anything that could possibly injure your child.
Install a Privacy Fence
Installing a privacy fence is often the first matter of business parents address when they buy a new home. Privacy fences are normally made of wood to prevent individuals from getting a look into the backyard area. Secondly, they are tall and sturdy enough to keep predators out, while ensuring your children can't make their way outside. The latches on each gate should be placed high enough that small children can't reach them and get them unlatched. Alarms can be purchased that will sound whenever the gate is opened as long as the system has been set.
Add Lighting to Your Landscapes
Lighting your landscaped areas serves two purposes. Properly placed lighting will draw attention to special focus points in the landscaped area as well as throw shadows along darkened areas of the home, making it difficult for intruders to make their way to windows without being seen. Motion activated lights can also be placed over doorways to prevent individuals from trying to gain access without being noticed. Carriage lights along the driveway and sidewalks or hung on fence posts will provide enough lighting to prevent both children and adults from slipping or falling as they make their way to the home.
Make the Best of Artificial Turf
Artificial turf has many uses over and above being used to make lawns look evergreen. Artificial turf can be cut to any size and glued to concrete to prevent slip and falls around the edges of pools and hot tubs. During the summer, children are constantly getting in and out of the pool. They rarely walk and in most cases, sprint for their towels to prevent getting cold. Placing artificial turf around the pool protects them from sliding on the wet pavement and also keeps them from tracking dirt and grass back into the water. Artificial turf can be used as walkways or as rugs on patios and decks as well. Artificial turf is ideal for playgrounds and will prevent the dirt from wearing away, leaving bare dirt and creating a tripping hazard.
Always Put Lawn Care Equipment Away After Use
If you plan on keeping a natural grass lawn instead of going with artificial turf, you will need to maintain the tools you use to care for the lawn. Many tools used in lawn maintenance can be extremely sharp. Always keep your lawn equipment away when it isn't in use. Although most children are taught not to play with it, some have been taught to use it and may not pay complete attention while they are working. It is important to always work with your children and never leave them unattended when lawn tools are in use.
When you think safety around your home, in most cases, all you need is a little common sense and the knowledge of what can fix certain problems. Children should know not to run around swimming pools, but they do it anyway. Putting artificial turf around the edges is just one way of adding a layer of protection that will take over when common sense fails. Child proofing your home isn't difficult. With a little ingenuity and a few simple tools, you can make your home safe and secure so your children can avoid a few of the more unpleasantries of life.
