Your apartment may not be a house, but it should definitely be your home. And home is that special place that allows you to be yourself. After all, you are a unique, dynamic individual, and decorating your living space with the things that reflect your individuality allows you to express yourself and make your home more enjoyable.
However, a well-decorated apartment isn’t necessarily a safe one, especially where children are concerned. And whether they are yours, a family member’s, or a friend’s or acquaintance’s, children who are set loose inside your apartment provide a number of unique challenges in regard to safety. But while this may mean that you’ll have to make some compromises with respect to your home furnishings, you’ll be pleased to know that it doesn’t mean that you have to ruin your décor in the process. With a little bit of time, effort, and knowhow, you’ll be able to create a child-friendly living space, that you won’t mind living in.
Time to childproof your apartment? Check out these 5 simple tips to keep both children and décor safe.
- Get a kid’s eye view
One of the challenges of childproofing your apartment is figuring out where to start. Well, there’s no better place to start than on your hands and knees. Children have a different perspective than adults, and when it comes to your apartment, they may be face-to-face with hazards that your grown-up height keeps you from noticing. Crawling through your apartment gives you a firsthand view of what your place looks like from a ground-level. From this vantage point you’ll see what’s in reach that shouldn’t be, what things are tempting to a child, as well as where crawlers, toddlers, and walkers are likely to go as they explore your home.
Getting a kid’s-eye-view will help you identify the cupboards, drawers, spaces, places, and other nooks and crannies that a child might get into, and to take appropriate safety measures. It will also help you to recognize potential choking hazards, such as coins, refrigerator magnets, marbles, paper clips, beads, or other small objects that could make their way from floors, low tables, drawers, or cupboards into a young child’s mouth.
- Go for the gates
Gates are great protectors. They can keep children safe within designated rooms, and out of forbidden areas like the kitchen or bathroom where hazards wait. Gates can also keep children out of nicer rooms and areas where you’d prefer that your décor remained intact, undisturbed, and free from small, curious, sticky-fingered intruders.
Gates are especially important in apartments and townhomes that feature stairways, as these can pose a serious hazard for children. In choosing gates, it’s best to avoid potentially outdated or defective hand-me-down models from family members, as these can pose additional threats (as a result of as sharp edges, worn-out supports, or problems stemming from out-dated safety standards). Old accordion-style gates with V-shaped openings are never a good choice, as they pose a risk of entrapment or strangulation for a child. Even new, up-to-code models can pose a threat if used incorrectly. To provide the safest possible environment for the child, stick to new straight-slat models that are age and size appropriate for the child, and that display the Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association (JPMA) seal. Always make sure that you read the gate installation directions carefully, and that you follow all safety guidelines. A good rule to follow for selecting the right gate is to look for a gate you can open and close easily, but that the child can’t dislodge.
In areas that present a bigger hazard, such as at the top of stairs, pressure gates should never be used. Always use a gate that screws into the wall, as it will be much more secure.
Gates can be purchased in a variety of styles and colors, so choosing something that won’t clash with the rest of your apartment design should be relatively simple. And, given that these gates are generally easy to install and remove, you won’t have to worry about them becoming a permanent addition.
- Get out the gadgets
Along with safety gates, there are lots of other gadgets available to help childproof your apartment. Among these are:
- Window stops. These are used to prevent low windows from being opened more than 4 inches.
- Window locks. These prevent children from opening windows at all, effectively securing the window closed.
- Window guards. These allow windows to be opened, but use bars to prevent children from being able to fall out of the window. Window guards should have bars no more than 4 inches apart, and should be secured by screwing them into the side of a window frame. A number of window guards on the market can be adjusted to accommodate windows of different sizes. Make sure that window guards conform to current safety standards, in that they fit snugly but can still be removed by an older child or adult should an emergency occur (such as a child getting stuck in the bars themselves).
- Toilet lid locks. These help secure toilet lids in the closed-position, so that young children can’t open them. Older users wills till be able to disengage the lock for normal toilet use.
- Doorknob locks. These prevent small children from being able to turn doorknobs, making it possible for you to set certain rooms (as well as the outside) as being ‘off-limits.’ Adults and older children should be able to easily use the doorknobs.
- Doorstops or door holders. These prevent doors from being able to close the entire way, so as to keep children from pinching fingers, or otherwise getting trapped.
- Cabinet and drawer safety latches. These keep children from accessing the many items that we keep in cabinets, drawers, pantries, and cupboards are hazardous to children.
- Outlet covers. These cover electrical outlets. Tiny fingers have a way of getting into spots that adults could never access, and there aren’t many spots as potentially dangerous as electrical outlets.
These safety covers, latches, and others can help to keep babies and small children out of areas and away from objects that could be potentially harmful, but they should never be used in place of adult supervision. Children are smarter than we often give them credit for, and have been known to use their innate mechanical prowess circumvent safety attachments. Always keep an eye on children as they explore your apartment, and never assume that just because something is latched, that it’s unopenable.
Safety covers and other gadgets can be purchased and installed in such a way that they are out of sight for most adults, making them a perfect, décor-friendly solution to child-safety issues.
- Get a grip on potential poisons
To keep children safe in your home, identify all poisonous substances—including cleansers, insecticides, detergents, antifreeze, motor oil, mothballs, and even certain plants—and store them in a safe place out of the child’s reach. This also includes prescription and OTC medications that might fall into young hands. All cabinets and drawers that contain any of these items should be secured with safety locks.
If you incorporate potentially-hazardous plants into your room design, replacing them with non-toxic substitutes is an absolute must. Visit your local plant nursery, and see what they have to offer. If you can’t find anything to use as a replacement, use fake house plants instead. You may not like the idea of substituting your vibrant rhododendron with one made out of plastic, but doing so will help ensure that your overall décor retains its look, while also eliminating a potential child hazard.
- Go child-friendly with furnishings
An easy solution to childproofing your apartment is to buy child-friendly furniture from the get-go. But that comes at the cost of sacrificing taste and style, at least for a while until the child grows to the point that he or she is not an immediate threat to your décor. But another option you might like better is to take the proper steps to make the stylish décor you already have in your home safer and more child-friendly.
For example, if you really enjoy your coffee table, but you’re worried that a young child could fall and hit his or her head on a sharp corner or edge. Try covering those sharp areas with edge and corner cushioning guards. Many of these are unobtrusive and will provide a good measure of safety without detracting from the overall look of your furniture.
Or let’s say that you love that soft suede couch in your living room, but you don’t want to make that room a “forbidden zone” for children. Make the couch child-friendly and childproof by covering it with an attractive and washable slipcover. Then, on an evening where you or your friends have arranged for babysitting, or simply after the child is in bed, you can remove the slipcover and allow the room to once again reflect your own unique style.
Having a child in your apartment doesn’t mean that you have to throw all of your beloved design sensibilities out the window; it just means that you have to be willing to adapt those sensibilities to account for child-safety. With some preparation time, a small amount of effort, and a bit of creativity, you’ll be able to create a space that both you and the child will be able to safely enjoy.
Did we miss anything? Share your own baby-safety and décor tips in our comments section!