HANDY HOME MAINTENANCE TIPS - CHILDPROOFING!

SO...YOUR GRANDCHILD’S COMING TO VISIT? GREAT!

IS YOUR HOME CHILDPROOF?

So, your daughter-in-law just called and said she’s (finally!) bringing over your 2 year old grandson for the afternoon. You’re going to enjoy having him in your home, feeding him, playing with him. But what’s your daughter-in-law going to say about those open electrical outlets, or that ungated stairwell to the basement? And of course you don’t want him to get hurt while he’s there. It’s time to childproof!

If it’s been a while since you had young children in your home, you’ll need a refresher course in what to look out for. Back when we had our kids, childproofing was minimal, if it existed at all. Things are very different today and our children will do a thorough inspection to ensure our homes are safe for our grandchildren. Here are the basics:

• Install covers on all electrical outlets.


• Remove all cleaning supplies, medicines and poisonous chemicals from lower cabinets and lock them away. All medications should be in childproof containers.


• Install locks on all cabinets. Remove all breakable knick knacks out of reach. Better yet, put them away in a closet. Also remove all small, swallowable items.


• Install gates at the head of all stairwells and guards on the windows that open. If your furniture has sharp edges or corners, install soft furniture guards. Beware of unsecured furniture such as tall shelves that can be pulled down if not bolted to the wall.


• Make sure the pulls, strings and cords on window treatments and appliances are tied out of reach.


• If your grandchild will be staying with you for an extended period, reset the hot water temperature on your hot water heater to between 120 and 130 degrees farenheit to prevent scalding. Make sure smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors are operable.


• Don’t carry hot liquids or foods around your grandchild. When cooking, keep the pot handles turned in over the stove. Keep your grandchild away from all sources of heat such as stoves, heaters, irons, curling irons and other appliances which might cause burns.


• Carpets and rugs should have a nonskid backing or be nailed in place.


• Keep the doors closed to the bathrooms and to any unchildproofed rooms. Doorknob covers will make it harder for a child to open doors.


• Keep your grandchild away from drowning hazards such as pools and lakes but also pails, toilets and other containers of water. Make sure gates to your pool are locked.


• Any dangerous animals should be locked away from your grandchild.


• This may be obvious but make sure that any gun (if you happen to own one) is stored unloaded and locked away in a closet.


• Keep handy local emergency numbers such as fire, police, ambulance and poison control.

Childproofing supplies are readily available at your local hardware store and at large toy stores,
such as ToysR'Us.

Ok, so now you’ve gone through the list and think you’re done. Think again! The best way to determine if your home is sufficiently childproofed is to get down on the floor and crawl around. No, I’m not kidding. Check things out from a small child’s perspective. You’ll be surprised what you find. There’s a quarter under the couch…a petrified raisin behind the curtain. All potential choking hazards.

Now you can enjoy your visit from your grandchild! (and the smile on your daughter-in-law’s face!).

-- Rubi Fingeret

Editor's Note: Rubi Fingeret is a founder and the CEO of Pro Home Manager, LLC, the creator of Pro Home Manager Personal Edition™, a comprehensive software solution for home maintenance and home inventory organization. Before founding Pro Home Manager, Rubi was a partner in the corporate and securities law practice of Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe, LLP. For handy home maintenance tips and more information, visit Rubi's professional site at www.ProHomeManager.com -- Elaine

Editor's Second Note: As a new, first time grandmother myself, I shared this information with my son-in-law (whose smiling face is even more important than my daughters) and he was so excited that SrMeetUp! was addressing this he even took notes. My soon to be one year old grandson, Bradley, was all over the house and I was exhausted when he went home, missed him but was phewwwww, tired chasing. I now have babyproofed my home and can thoroughly enjoy the roll of a doting grandmother. Rubi - right on! Can't wait to hear other suggestions for both home maintenance and management. --Elaine