Safety Kid!
20 April 2011
I was asked to be a member of the Kwikset Smart Squad. And here is my first attempt at being a smarty pants and telling you all what to do with home safety! I hope you get some good ideas... (or can share some of your great ideas with me!)
I have young children, so my thoughts are mostly tailored to families with young children. I hope that no matter what your personal situation that these ideas can be a good starting point for you to make your home a haven.
Thinking of burglars...
1. Always keep your exterior doors locked. This seems like a no brainier, but it is your first defense, and we don’t want to make our home an easy target for burglars. Make it a habit!
2. Install a peep hole in your front door. If you have an unexpected visitor, be sure to check who it is first, don’t answer it, if you don’t want to! Also, it may help to have a no soliciting sign That way if anyone is trying to scope out your home, dressed as a salesperson, they won’t have that excuse to be knocking on your door.
3. Close your blinds! Especially to rooms with expensive items. Don’t show off your fabulous equipment to a burglar.
4. Make sure your home is well lit at night. Keep bulbs replaced and bright.
5. Get to know your neighbors. Have a neighborhood BBQ, so you can get to know your neighbors. Then, if someone is out of place you are more likely to know it. And if you are friendly, with and associate regularly with your neighbors you will be keeping an extra eye out for their safety and they will be looking out for yours.
Make a Safety Plan...
6. Keep emergency numbers posted near your phones. We should all know 9-1-1, but do you know poison control’s number, your local police station or animal control? These are good numbers to know.
7. Install fire detectors in each room, replace batteries twice a year. Daylight savings time, can be the perfect reminder to change those batteries.
8. Plan for, and practice your fire drill. You don’t want your children to be unsure about how to act in the case of a fire. And if they have never heard the fire alarm it may scare them and stop them from thinking clearly. But practice makes perfect, so b sure to practice!
9. Know what to do in case of disasters.Learn the warning signs and the proper way to act in case of these emergencies. Find out what and where local resources would be in case you do need help.
10. Be sure to have a plan and at least few days of supplies on hand at all times in case of natural disasters (especially if you live an in area where these are common). A 72 hour kit that is easily accessed would be appropriate.
Simple Steps to Safety Around Your Home...
11. Keep your stairs cleaned off, people can trip over objects left on stairs, especially in the event of an emergency or fire. Remove all objects from the stairway.
12. Keep cleaners and medications in upper cabinets. To me, it is easier to keep items completely out of reach to my young children, rather, than worry about them getting into cabinets. If this is not an option, at least install cabinet locks and be sure to keep an eye on them, when they are in rooms that may have hazardous chemicals.
13. When you buy a new toy or item read the manual, and follow the instructions and be sure to read the warnings!
14. Wrap your blind cords up, so they are not hanging in reach of children or pets. You can buy little blind cord wraps, or you can wrap them around two nails driven into the wall a few inches apart. Blind cords are a huge hazard! I know this from personal experience of finding my cat so tied up in the blind cords that they had to be cut off her. Thank heaven she was, fine- but the thought makes me cringe, especially in the case of a very young child, they would not have survived the incident.
15. Be sure the water heater is not turned on higher that 120 degrees Fahrenheit. Water above 120 degrees can scald.
Want some more safety ideas? Check out these sites that helped me become more aware of ways we can protect our homes and families: Safe Kids, and National Crime Prevention Council.
P.S. What great ides do you guys have for home safety? Leave me a comment let me know!
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3 comments:
something i always think about is....be careful what you say on facebook! so many people talk about leaving for vacation, and now you can do the "check in" thing with your iphone....why advertise to the world that you are not at home?!
Boy do your points hit home! We were burglarized last summer, and we had only left the house for an hour to get lunch! But we had left the back door unlocked, and the back gate as well. We live in a good neighborhood, but there is an alley behind our house and the entire back of our house is windows, so they could see our cool stuff if they peeked over the back wall. We have learned our lessons. Don't leave your stuff where people can see, and lock your doors. Our dog wasn't any deterrent, he just took off. We have an alarm system now, but it's still scary to think about.
Great post--thanks for the information! I hope every reader will share ideas on this subject. Our families are treasures; we can't go far enough in keeping them safe!
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