If you add a new baby to your family, you’re in for 18-21 years of raising your child. And that child is going to do a lot of changing in its lifetime. Perhaps nowhere is a child’s development more noticeable than in its first year of life. Your child will go from a dependent infant to an increasingly curious toddler.
As your child grows and starts to explore on its own, your home will become a hotbed of potential dangers. Therefore, you will need to baby-proof your home. By using proper baby-proofing steps, you can make the home safer for your child and others.
The Role of Insurance in Baby-Proofing
Your child’s security would not be complete without strong insurance coverage. Let’s take a look at some of the ways different homeowners policies can protect your growing toddler.
- Homeowners possessions coverage can insure many of the child’s belongings and necessities. Should something damage your home, this coverage can help you afford to repair or replace the child’s belongings.
- As your child grows, they might venture out more. In these circumstances, your child might damage someone else’s property. Liability protection might help you cover the costs of those damages.
Baby-Proofing In the First Year
As your child becomes more and more mobile, the risks they face at home increase. For example, even an open trash can might pose a suffocation risk under the right conditions. Parents of toddlers often need to take multiple steps to make the home safe for a toddler.
- Think like the child, and get on his or her level. Look for fall, choking, suffocation, burn, drowning and other injury risks in the home.
- Have an emergency plan in place in case your child gets hurt. Keep emergency medical numbers in your possession.
- Consult a childproofing publication or expert for specific tips on securing the home. Such steps might include:
- Binding heavy furniture to walls and installing door gates and artificial barriers.
- Securing cabinets, door knobs and electrical outlets with childproof locks.
- Taping down or putting away electrical cords, window blinds or other choking hazards.
- Keeping medicine, cleaning supplies and harmful agents in locked or high places.
- Start enforcing safety rules and limits with the child. A firm approach can often stem risky behavior early.
However, every family is different. How you childproof your home might vary from the practices of your neighbor. Therefore, it helps to take a close look at your individual needs as your child grows. Contact your insurer if you have any additional questions about your Muncie homeowners protection.
NOTICE: This blog and website are made available by the publisher for educational and informational purposes only. It is not be used as a substitute for competent insurance, legal, or tax advice from a licensed professional in your state. By using this blog site you understand that there is no broker client relationship between you and the blog and website publisher.