Home security and home safety for kids

Making the home a comfortable and safe environment is what we all strive for, especially if there are kids in the house. Whether it’s a foster home, a grandparent’s house, or the family sanctuary, making sure that your home is as safe as possible can be challenging - especially in a busy household that never seems to stop. 

From curious toddlers exploring every corner to older kids testing their independence, the potential hazards in a home are numerous. However, whether it's baby-proofing your living room, securing your kitchen, or ensuring that your garden is a safe place for play, there are many steps you can take to protect your children.

So, when school holidays arrive or unexpected school closures occur, being prepared with good home security for children will mean one less worry during stressful times. Keep reading as we explore all the important things to think about - to help you be on top of home safety and security, with children in mind.

Baby and toddler safety

It goes without saying that adult supervision is needed at all times, but especially when there are babies and toddlers around. 

Growing, rolling, crawling, and taking their first steps; for them it’s a whole new world, but for parents it shows just how many potential dangers there are in your home! 

Here are some safety points to be thinking about when you come around to baby-proofing – and toddler-proofing – your home:

• Safety guards are needed for stairs and balconies or any entry to higher levels in your home.

• Make sure windows are locked and, where needed, install window guards to prevent any mini explorers climbing up (especially upper storeys). You could also install entry sensors, if you’re worried about not knowing if curious hands are opening your windows.

• Keep any blind cords tucked away out of reach to prevent any risk of strangling. 

• Always review cot safety, by checking barriers are locked up into position and that nothing unsafe is in the cot or under blankets. Follow the safe-sleep guidelines for babies.

• Use baby monitors during the night and for nap times, to be responsive to your child’s needs and safety at a moment’s notice. A wireless security camera with an app for visual monitoring is often found to be more reliable.

• Keep prams and play seats on wheels locked when not in use, and always use the straps to secure your child in, when out walking.

• Be clued up on baby and child first aid and choking advice, so that you know how to help your child if the worst happens. 

Child first aid and CPR

Children are curious, and often clumsy; it’s just their nature. However knowing how to help them if the worst was to happen is one of the best ways to keep them safe. 

Make sure you’re up to date with child first aid and CPR knowledge. There are plenty of helpful videos online to help inform you,  but you should always reference NHS first aid guidelines first. The info takes you through CPR on adults to children.

Have you got a first aid kit in the home and car? From cut knees and bumped heads to potentially broken arms, always have a fully stocked first aid kit and a good medical drawer or cupboard to be well prepared for injuries and illnesses at home and when out and about.

Home security for children

Our home is our sanctuary, especially for kids. It’s also a place where children can develop, grow, learn, and discover, a place where relationships strengthen, and a place that is safe. But is it secure? 

Unfortunately, the world has its dangers that can find their way into the most loving of homes, however, and there are ways we can help better defend ourselves using smart home security systems, including cameras, alarms, and sensors.

Surveillance and making homes secure has never been so easy as of today, thanks to technology. An indoor camera and outdoor cameracan give you instant access to video footage inside and around your home - right to your mobile or any online device, whenever you are, to help you check up on what’s going on with your home and kids. Say if you’ve left children with a babysitter or they’re asleep at nighttime, you can check in just by viewing on an app, where you can see and hear what’s happening at home in an instant.

Many also choose to pair their home security systems with a professional monitoring service. This service provides your home with 24/7 expert home monitoring, meaning should your alarm or sensors be triggered, the team can visually verify any potential intruders inside your home using your cameras and request police support to protect your home and family. 

Furthermore, if your child is of an age where they understand, it’s important to teach children about home security. This includes stranger danger and not answering the door without an adult present (or at all), the importance of keeping the door locked, and knowing what to do if someone has broken into your home. This doesn’t have to be a boring talk, either - explore our educational home safety activities to make learning about home security fun and interactive! 

Electrical safety for children 

Unfortunately, young children don’t always fully understand the dangers inside their home, and as such, curious fingers may stray to places they shouldn’t - including electrical outlets and devices. For older children, it may be easier to teach them of the dangers and implement rules, but you can never be too careful. 

Electrical safety is paramount when you have children in the home, from preventing fires to reducing the risk of electrocution. Here are some ways you can implement electrical safety within your home: 

• Especially for younger children, it's incredibly important that you make sure you’re covering plug sockets, switching things off and not leaving dangerous wires lying around.

• Replace or repair worn cords and appliances, which could cause an electrical fire and electrocute the child if they were to touch it. 

• Use safety caps for plug sockets if not in use, to prevent children from putting their fingers or objects inside the outlet. 

• Don’t leave wires and cables on the floor. Have them attached to walls neatly where possible, preventing them from being pulled, wrapped around necks, or put in mouths.  

• Switch off appliances and sockets when not in use, so that curious children don’t think to play with them when an adult isn’t around. 

• Get an electrician to install safety switches that cut power off, to avoid the risk of electrocution.

• Avoid using extension cords as much as possible, to avoid tripping and injuries.

• Don’t overload outlets. Make sure there aren’t too many devices plugged in at once to avoid overheating, small explosions, and electrical fires. Look for power strips as alternatives, if you need many devices plugged in at one time. 

• Keep all electronics away from water and drinks. Don’t allow children near them with liquids, and keep them supervised at all times when doing so. 

• Check your smoke detectors regularly, so that in the event of an electrical fire, you can get your children to safety quickly. 

Kitchen safety for children

Kitchens are full of hazards and dangers, even for adults; sharp objects, electrical equipment, heat, trapped spaces and heights… Kitchens are simply not a space in your home where any child should be left unattended - regardless of their age or independence. 

To make your kitchen safer for the children inside your home, even when supervised, follow these helpful kitchen safety tips: 

• Keep children away from hobs, hot surfaces, hot liquids and fire, to prevent the risk of burns and scalds.

• For younger, inquisitive children, make sure hazardous and dangerous items are hidden away in high or locked cupboards and out of reach, such as batteries and medicines.

• If your child likes to help out in the kitchen, make sure that child steps aren’t free to use in the kitchen when unattended. This will prevent them falling, getting trapped at a height, or getting hold of anything that could harm them. 

• If you’re teaching children to wash their hands in the kitchen sink, or they like to help out when you’re making dinner, make sure sharp and dangerous objects are out of bounds and use knife guards.

• If children are helping with fun activities, like baking, keep hygiene standards maintained and make sure they’re protected when using any equipment and cutlery. 

• Use appropriate highchairs with secure straps when feeding babies and toddlers, to prevent them from climbing or slipping out, and always supervise them when eating - for risk of choking. 

• Make sure recycled items are securely hidden away in recycle containers, such as glass and sharp tins that can cut, and plastic that could cause suffocation, and that they are frequently disposed of in outside recycling bins.

Garden safety for children 

Your garden should be a fun space for your children, where they can run wild, play, and enjoy all that nature has to offer. However, without proper precautions, it can also be a space full of dangers. 

So how can you make your garden a safe space for your children to enjoy, without the worry of all the hazards it can possess?

• Make sure sheds are locked and secure, to prevent your children getting hold of anything they shouldn’t or trapped inside. 

• If you’ve been gardening or working outdoors, always clear up and lock away tools and dangerous equipment. Never leave them unattended, or your children unattended around them.

• Always unplug tools, lawnmowers and work drills etc. when taking breaks, to prevent your children turning them on and risking hurting themselves. 

• Keep on top of plants in the garden to make sure no nasty or poisonous plants are growing that your children could accidentally touch or attempt to eat. Research deadly plants and remove them from your garden if present.

• Make sure back gates and doors are locked and fully secure, especially when outside in the garden, to prevent children escaping and potential intruders from getting in. 

• Help keep children more secure when playing in gardens by keeping fences high and sturdy. Don’t make it easy for trespassers to enter or for your children to run off, or your children to be hurt if one was to fall down. 

• Install outdoor security cameras that are weatherproof with apps to monitor – you can use our wired indoor camera outside by pairing it with the Outdoor Kit.

• Keep your children safe during a heatwave, by providing lots of drinks, shaded spaces, and knowing the signs of heat exhaustion and heat stroke, when spending hot summer days in the garden. 

• Remember BBQ safety. Like in the kitchen, BBQs can be very dangerous for children, so keep them away whilst it is in use and cooling down.

Living room safety for children

Your family will most likely spend a lot of time in the living room whilst playing, reading, or having movie nights. However, there are still dangers present there - even when you’re all in the room together. 

To keep your living room safe for your children, follow these tips:

• Don’t leave obstacles lying around for children to trip up on, or indeed for adults too and accidentally hurt your child in the process. 

• Make sure furniture is sturdy. Bookcases and tall units may need to be secured to walls, to prevent children using them to climb up and the furniture falling down on them. 

• Brace or strap flat-screen televisions to walls, to prevent them falling or being pulled down onto children. 

• Just like electrical safety, make sure wires and cables are neatly hidden and not easily grabbed. Attach to walls if possible, to prevent them also being a tripping hazard.

• Switch off all unused appliances and plug sockets and use safety caps, to continue following electrical safety instructions in your home. 

• Use sharp edge protectors for furniture, such as coffee tables and TV stands, so that children don’t hurt themselves on the corners. 

Bathroom safety for children

Chemicals, bodies of water, sharp objects and potential electrical items. Whilst your family often sees the bathroom as the fun space for creative and laughter-filled bathtimes, the bathroom is full of dangers to your children. 

Whilst your child should never be unsupervised in the bathroom, unless they are at an age where they go to the toilet on their own, there are many other ways to keep it a safe space for your children. These include:

• Try to keep all hot water at a maximum of 50℃ in your bathroom, whilst still mixing with cold water for baths and hand washing. This will help to prevent your child from getting scalded. 

• Always supervise children when bathing, to prevent accidental drowning or them reaching for dangerous products or objects. 

• Keep bath products high up and unreachable, not only to prevent them from being wasted, but also to avoid children attempting to consume them. 

• Keep razors, nail clippers and other sharp objects etc. high up or locked away, high up, or out of reach, to avoid children cutting themselves on them. 

• Bleach and cleaning products should never be accessible or on the floor next to toilets, as children may attempt to play with them, which could cause chemical burns, or attempt to consume them. 

• Keep child steps away when not in use for washing hands, brushing teeth, or going to the toilet, to make sure your children cannot reach for dangerous products or objects when unattended. 

Bedroom safety for children 

Your child’s bedroom is probably the only space in the home where you intentionally leave them unattended. However, no matter the age, a bedroom could be a hazardous space for your child - especially when no one is watching over them. 

To help keep your child’s bedroom as a safe haven, free from hazards, you could: 

• Practise safe sleeping methods, especially for babies, toddlers, and younger children - such as keeping the sleep space free from hazards. This will help to prevent the risk of SIDS. 

• Avoid putting locks on doors, so that your child, or a potential intruder, cannot lock themselves inside the bedroom. 

• Strap or secure furniture to walls, including drawers, wardrobes, bookcases, and TVs. If your child was to use the object to climb up, this will prevent it from falling on top of them. 

• Keep toys out of the room of small children. Whilst your child may like to play in their room, when unsupervised they may risk choking or hurting themselves on broken toys or small parts.

• Practise electrical safety, by unplugging electronics, covering plug sockets, and keeping electrical wires neatly away and out of reach of children, to prevent the risk of electrocution or electrical fires. 

How to keep children safe around pets

Pets are part of the family, and you will do anything to protect them. However, pets and young children don’t always mix. It’s incredibly important to know how to keep your children safe around pets, to keep both of them safe from any accidental harm. This includes:

• It’s important to not only explain pet safety with children from an early age, but also to supervise them near pets for the safety of both. This will help to avoid both your child and your pet from accidentally getting hurt. 

• If you have babies and toddlers, make sure pet food is securely hidden so that your child doesn’t try to eat it, and that fresh bowls of pet food are only put out when pets are due feeding. 

• Make sure your child knows to keep away from the pet when they are eating and that they’re always supervised, so prevent the pet from accidentally biting. 

• Make sure they understand what they’re not allowed to do and how pets can retaliate e.g. don’t pull too hard on dog’s ears or poke animals’ eyes. This will help to prevent your pet from accidentally retaliating and hurting your child, as well as to protect your pet. 

• Teach your children how to prevent pet theft, including stranger danger, keeping doors locked, and telling an adult if they think someone is in the garden or looking through the windows. 

Keep your home a safe haven for your children. Get in touch today to find the best home security system for your family, or check out our SimpliSafe blog for more home security tips.