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If your little bundle of joy is getting more active than you can keep up with, one of the first things you should consider is child-proofing your home. Even the seemingly safest of homes contain surprising places to fall down from, nooks to get fingers stuck in and sharp edges to get bumped on.

Luckily, ongoing development of nifty child-proofing gadgets makes it easier and easier to defend little ones against these unfortunate instances, and put caring parents’ minds to rest.

All the basics

The Clippasafe home safety starter pack is a fantastic point to kick off child-proofing and contains all the fundamental basics. Starting from around £8.50 upwards, the pack is fantastic value for money with 30 quality items to help put parents’ minds at ease. The UK version contains 12 plug socket covers for defence against electric shocks, six cupboard/drawer locks to protect against drawers falling out and causing harm or access to unsafe objects within the drawers, eight corner cushions to avoid nasty bumps, one multi-purpose lock, one fridge/freezer lock, one toilet lock and a door stopper.

Blinds

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Dangly draw cords from blinds present a variety of perils, from choking to strangulation. Instead of having unsightly knots and tangles, or having to cut off the cords and replace them later, try a cord-shortening gadget. The blindwinder created by Kidco, works much like a tapemeasure, and easily and effectively rolls up cords to keep them out of harm’s way.

In the kitchen

There are so many fun buttons and knobs to play with in the kitchen, and so many ways this fun game can go wrong. Oven, stove and microwave child-proof locks are an effective way of preventing prying fingers from getting where they shouldn’t.

Stair troubles

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Stairs are a constant cause of worry for parents with adventurous toddlers. Even if you do have a child safety gate, the question of whether you remembered to secure it or not can be a huge cause of anxiety. Clippasafe offers a very effective child-proof ‘auto-close’ child safety gate which automatically closes and locks itself, so you can put your mind at ease!

Windows and doors

Slamming your fingers in the door is no fun, no matter how old you are! Child-proof finger alert devices are available for insertion on the inside of a door hinge, preventing the door from slamming on any fingers that may be in the way. Clippasafe’s pack contains both a wide and narrow version.

A variety of child-proofing gadgets are also available to deter children from climbing through windows. Window stops control how high or wide a window can open, while a mesh window guard allows you to leave windows open, while not risking anybody climbing or falling out.

Baby monitors

Photo: Phillips

Last but not least, a trusty baby monitor is a very useful child-proofing tool for keeping tabs on your little one. The Vivanco BM 550 has a range of 250m and child-proof battery pack, while the Phillips Avent Dect has a lullaby function, temperature control and intercom capability.

While the proposition of an active and curious toddler can be overwhelmingly daunting, there are many products on the market today to help put your mind at ease.

Tags: child safety