Happy Monday from the Vermont Mortgage Company!

Last week we shared some tips on how to keep your credit information safe. This week we’ll be discussing how to keep something much more important safe. That, of course, is your child.

Making sure to childproof your home is an incredibly important practice. Not only does it keep your precious one safe from injury, it will also give you peace of mind and lower the stress of raising a child, especially for first time parents.

Here is a small list of things you can do to protect your loved one:

1. Safety Gates – These are essential for keeping young ones safe from the perils of stairs. Childproof your stairs by keeping a gate at the top AND bottom of the stairwell. This will prevent your child from falling down the steps. Pro top: Make sure the gate at the top of the stairs is firmly secure, and is not held by expanding pressure bars. These can still be pushed down.
2. Cover hard edges and corners – Fireplaces, tables and counters have sharp and hard edges. Placing soft bumpers and borders can protect your child from banging themselves and doing harm. For fireplaces, always make sure there is a screen in front of it to prevent burns.
3. Childproof your blinds – Make sure any looped cords are out of reach. These are a potential hanging hazard! Keep them from dangling and always ensure the raised blinds are locked securely.
4. Secure furniture – In addition to ensuring furniture is away from windows, make sure there is no possibility of them falling over. Tall furniture can be pulled or pushed over, therefore preventing a major safety concern. A good investment is to purchase earthquake wall brackets.  These attach and secure furniture to the wall without being seen. If they can withstand and earthquake, they can stop a 2 year old!
5. Door handles – Childproof door handles and latches! Like the safety gates, making sure your child can’t get into anywhere you don’t want is paramount for their safety. Kitchen cabinets and doors leading to stairs are especially dangerous. Always make sure they are easy to open though – in case of emergency such as a fire, you don’t want to have trouble opening a door!
6. Shocking! – Make sure outlets are covered. Use plastic inserts to cover any open outlets to prevent electric shocks. Other objects like hairdryers and curling irons should never be left out and plugged in.
7. Pay attention – Lastly, always be vigilant. Keep sharp/dangerous objects out of reach or locked away. Use the back burners on your stove, as well as keeping pot handles pointed away. Make sure all rooms, especially the bathroom and kitchen, are free of potential hazards.

We hope these few tips prove useful to those starting down the wonderful road of parenthood! We know it is a long, rough and rewarding one, and hope these serve you well! Have a lovely rest of the week, from all of us here at the Vermont Mortgage Company! As  always, feel free to reach out at 802.863.2020, and visit us at vermontmortgagecompany.com.