A letter to you from Donnie Lee, home safety and babyproofing expert at Baby Gates N Safety.
Dear Mum,
I remember when I knew I was becoming a dad for the first time. Very soon, you will be meeting your baby for the first time and you will want to do everything you can to protect this little one you love.
Over 60% of all accidents in children aged under four years happen in the home because parents tend to underestimate the hazards present. It is not just the outdoors where children are exposed to the risk of accidents: current studies show that the risk of injury to babies and toddlers is particularly high indoors. Falls, burns and poisoning dangers lurking at home can be significantly reduced with just a little effort.
Sometimes it seems that children are magically drawn to everything that is not suitable for them, be it staircases, drawers, hot pans, or sharp objects. This curiosity and desire to discover is completely natural and is an important part of the child’s development. As children grow up, their mobility and radius of activities increase, exposing them to more hazards and risks. But children under the age of four lack any risk awareness - this means everyday situations such as hot stoves, stairs or an unlocked medicine cupboard can have tragic consequences.
Having the luxury of in-person chats with parents of young babies and children at Baby Slings & Carriers (yep, we are sister labels) quickly helps us realise how often and serious babies and children can get hurt if a home isn’t properly secured for their safety. Yet anyone with a baby who is mobile or a boisterous toddler/preschooler will soon tell you that it is next to impossible to monitor their every movement.
It is important for us to prevent the obvious and potentially dangerous ones by safety-proofing your home. For example, do you want your child to have access to the kitchen? If yes, you may want to consider putting cabinet locks on drawers containing dangerous objects like knives. If you do not wish your child to be in the kitchen at all, then consider a safety gate and you may get away with not having cabinet locks.
Whatever is your family’s unique situation and decision, taking some time to consider the best way to baby-proof your home while keeping it livable for the adults, will ease some of the stressors of the coming years.
All the best,
Donnie
Donnie Lee | Baby Gates & Safety
Donnie is the chief solution finder at Baby Gates N Safety. Meticulous in details, with a deep understanding and knowledge of safety products, coupled with a practical hands-on approach, makes him the go-to-guy for safety and baby proofing situations around the home. As a parent himself to three lovely daughters, not one of whom could keep their hands and curiosity to themselves when they were little, and having lived in both apartments and houses, he has often had to improvise solutions in the past to ensure that his daughters stayed safe and kept injuries to a minimum, as safety advice and products were then not easily available in Singapore. Baby Gates N Safety stock a comprehensive range of baby/safety-proofing products, including safety gates, at their retail showroom, and can advise parents on how to safety-proof their home.
Contact Donnie on 6909 3430, www.babygatesnsafety.com, 39 Jalan Pemimpin, #06-01 Tailee Industrial Building, Singapore 577182.