Usually, you think of your home as being one of the few places where you experience peace of mind. But, on some level, you must be aware that this sense of calm is misleading. As much as you would like to avoid thinking about it — bad things can happen at home, too.
We all get scared from time to time, but this fear becomes even more intense once you have young children. Actually, Study Finds reported in a survey published in 2018 that found that parents spend an average of 37 hours per week feeling fearful about their children (pretty intense, I know).
Fortunately, there are steps you can take to make yourself (and your young children) safer when at home. Check out these four ways to make your home a safer place:
1) Get a home warranty
According to an article published in Forbes last year, 78 percent of workers in the United States live paycheck to paycheck. This means that one or two financial setbacks can be all it takes to end up in crippling debt and/or losing the house where your babies sleep.
So, it could give you some much-needed peace of mind to get a platinum home warranty so that you won’t be blindsided by the sudden need for repairs on your residential property. A platinum home warranty provides the most coverage for nearly everything that can go wrong with your appliances. Plus, a home warranty with the AFC Home Club comes with free credit monitoring, family emergency services, and discounts on home security, all while being available for a service call 24/7 (now that’s great customer service).
2) Swimming pool safety
According to the National Safety Council, roughly 10 people die every day in the United States from drowning and the younger you are, the more likely it is. They say that drowning is the leading cause of death in young children and attribute this to swimming pools, spas, and being unattended in the bathtub.
Having well-equipped swimming pool fences is not only required by law (local regulations vary), but having a pool fence can save your child’s life. Sure, you could DIY a pool fence around your pool area, but most swimming pool owners would probably recommend a professional service that has experience (Pool Guard USA has 20 years of experience) dealing with pool safety fences and knows the ins and outs of a safe swimming pool and a safe pool area.
Bonus tip: If you have a hot tub next to your swimming pool, don’t forget to also include a pool safety fence around that spa area as well (it doesn’t take much water or time for a child to drown in a pool area).
3) Fire prevention
According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), nearly 3 of every 5 fire-related deaths were in a home where there were no smoke alarms (40 percent) or in a home where the smoke alarms were not working (17%). Smoke alarms remain the best defense and the most cost-effective way to keep your family safe from fires.
The NFPA, recommends smoke alarms being installed outside every sleeping area, on every level of the house, and interconnected so they all sound out in an emergency. Smoke alarms should also be tested every month to ensure they’re working and replaced every ten years as the NFPA notes that 43 percent of the fires where smoke alarms did not activate it was due to no batteries or disconnected batteries.
Bonus tip: It is also important to teach your kids not to play with fire, not to play with stoves, and to teach them what to do if they hear smoke alarms.
4) Protecting your kids from poisoning
According to the National Safety Council, unintended poisoning is the number one cause of accidental death in the United States and more than 90 percent of accidental poisonings happen at home. Common poisonings include drug overdoses, carbon monoxide poisoning, and radon gas poisoning. Poisons particularly dangerous to children include lead poisoning (particularly from paint chips), ingestion of household products, and button battery ingestion.
Luckily, according to KidsHealth, by keeping these types of products on high shelves with safety latches (remember, children enjoy climbing) we can reduce the risk.
Bonus tip: Be extra cautious with cosmetic products in the bathroom that your child could potentially ingest and poison themselves with and be sure to keep purses and bags containing any medications out of reach of children.
