HEALTH & WELLNESS, NEW GRANDPARENTS

GRAND-PROOFING

By

Entire house
 
•Medicines. No matter what age the grandchildren are, lock up all medications. This applies to over-the-counter medications as well as prescriptions. No exceptions-the risk of poisoning or abuse is too high.
 

•Firearms. Again, age doesn't matter. Unload and lock up all firearms. Store ammunition separately. Put the key(s) where only you have access. No exceptions.

 
•Alcohol. See above. Lock it up.
 
•Poison control. Post the national poison control number: 1-800-222-1222.
 
•Water heater. Set the temperature no higher than 120 degrees Fahrenheit.
 
•Electrical. Cover all unused outlets with outlet covers or plates. Make sure all lamp- and appliance cords are out of reach.
 
•Smoke detectors. One outside every room where someone will be sleeping.
 
•Windows. Install window guards in rooms above the ground floor.
 
•Houseplants. Many common houseplants are deadly if eaten. Move out of reach.
 
•Put anything smaller than a ping-pong ball in a safe place-it's a choking hazard. Knickknacks, coins, jewelry, batteries, candy, decorative stones or marbles, etc.
 
•Use doorknob covers, hook latches or safety gates to keep children out of rooms you can't completely grand-proof. Don't forget doors leading to the garage, outside or the basement.
 
•Curtain- and blind cords. Tie up or install safety tassels and stops to prevent strangulation.
 
•Plastic bags. A suffocation risk-store all grocery bags, dry-cleaner bags, garbage, storage and sandwich bags out of reach.
 
•Stairs. Install safety gates at the top and bottom.
 
•Fireplaces. Use a fireplace screen. Cover gas valves or remove the key. Hide matches out of reach.
 
•Furniture. Secure heavy furniture against tipping.
 
•Children's furniture/equipment. Check for recalls (some may contain lead paint, for example).
 
 

Kitchen

 
•Cabinets and cupboards. Pots and pans are fun to play with; drain cleaner is not. Install cabinet door safety latches. Check lower cabinets using a hand mirror. You may not remember what's down there, but a toddler will find it.
 
•Dishwasher. A preschooler will open the dishwasher and pull out the steak knives. Install a dishwasher lock.
 
•Stove/range. Keep pot handles turned to the back. Consider removing lower range knobs temporarily.
 
•Refrigerator. Remove small magnets.
 
•Trash can. Store behind a closed door or use one with a tight-fitting lid.
 
•Pet food and water. Toddlers will eat it and drink it. Move pet dishes to where kids can't reach them but Fido and Fluffy can.
 
•Tablecloths. What fun to pull down!

 

 
Bathrooms
 
•Secure doors to keep toddlers out.
 
•Stash bath products, toiletries, makeup and first-aid supplies out of reach.
 
•Make sure you can unlock the bathroom door from the outside.

 

 
Garage
 
•There are too many hazards for a garage to be effectively childproofed, so make it
inaccessible. Secure doors leading from the house.

 

 
Outside
 
•Pools and hot tubs. Adult supervision always. Make sure safety devices are working: alarms, gate locks, covers, etc.
 
•Garden equipment and supplies. Lock garden tools in the garage or shed along with all pesticides, fertilizers and other chemicals.
 
•Outside plants. Many are extremely poisonous. Keep younger children away.
 
•Vehicles. Keep vehicles locked-children can get trapped in a car. Also, when children are visiting, always be absolutely certain you know exactly where they are before you move your vehicle.

 

 
While this list may appear to be a lot of work-and many of the precautions and safety devices do make everyday tasks inconvenient-the well-being of the little ones (and our ability to relax and enjoy their visit) is worth it.
 
 
For more information, try checking out these helpful resources.
 
Safety Devices

 

U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission: www.cpsc.gov

Perfectly Safe products: http://perfectlysafe.stores.yahoo.net

KidSafe Home Safety Products: www.kidsafeinc.com/

 

Poisonous plants

Texas A&M University: http://plantanswers.tamu.edu/publications/poison/poison.html

 

Home & Garden TV: www.hgtv.com/hgtv/gl_plants_other/article/0,,HGTV_3609_1371775,00.html

 

Product Recalls

U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission: www.recalls.gov/cpsc.html

 

Professional Childproofers

Find a Professional: www.homecontractors.biz/task.Child-Proofing-Install.40190.html

 

Books

Baby Proofing Basics: How to Keep Your Child Safe, 2nd ed. (paperback), by Vicki Lansky

The Safe Baby Book by Angela McKenzie

Safe Kids: A Complete Child-Safety Handbook and Resource Guide for Parents by Vivian Kramer Fancher


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Comments

kimh
Sunday, November 30, 2008 @ 6:05:47 PM
This article focuses (disproportionately) on how to grand-proof for toddlers and infants. The reality is, toddlers and infants are usually closely supervised when visiting. It's the 5-18 year-old grandchildren that are often running around the house unsupervised (and are much more creative.)

In addition to locking up alcohol, take a look at what DVD's you have in the TV area. Most likely, there are some movies there that may have language, violence or sexual aspects that you and their parents may not normally give them access to.

Ditto for your computer....will the kids be able to use your computer while they are there? Will they be allowed to download games? Can they have unsupervised surfing privileges? Be aware that kids like to access "free online game" "college humor.com" etc. websites that can result in you receiving a lot of span, malware, etc.

Cable TV: consider setting up parental blocks for certain channels while the grandchildren are visiting depending upon their age and their parents' rules.

....And your pets. You may have a dog or cat that is used to a quiet household and is not used to children. Consider having your pet stay with friends or a boarder....for both the safety and happiness of your pet and your grandchildren.

raj011
Friday, February 6, 2009 @ 5:40:33 AM
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sherrystar
Monday, February 9, 2009 @ 3:08:59 PM
Although I am not a grandparent (big sigh) I raised 2 sons. One is in Graduate School and doing very well and one was a paramedic and an RN and is deceased from a drug overdose. The reason I am commenting here is to alert everyone that drug abuse/misuse (and especially prescription drugs today) can happen in any family.

None of us can be too careful when it comes to our children/grandchildren and drugs. It can happen in any family no matter how diligent we are.

My passion is to reach young children from ages 10 and up to educate them about drugs and addiction. Out of the 3 books I've written on the subject, The Addiction Monster and the Square Cat is my first children's book. This book is consistently on Amazon.com's Best Sellers List in Substance Abuse.

Yes, I wrote it but I am urging people to read it to their children and grandchildren because it speaks to kids in a way that they can understand. The story is a fictionalized version of my son Scott's death and it is told with humor and pathos by the sassy but lovable family cat.

You can find my books at www.theaddictionmonster.com and of course can read the reviews for all 3 books on Amazon.com

I make very little profit on the books - that is not the reason I wrote them. I am passionate about trying to save our children, to educate them before what I call the Addiction Monster gets to them and believe me, he starts telling the kids about drugs (how good they are) as early as 5th grade.

I hope you will understand that I don't want any other parent or grandparent to suffer the devastation of losing a child.

Thank you and I wish you the very best with your grandchildren. You can always lend me one if you get overwhelmed. :-)