Setting up your new home after a PCS is a beast of a job, especially when towers of boxes are staring down at you from the ceiling – which can be a real safety hazard for your kids. Maybe you’re finding yourself preparing to move…. well, again. Or maybe it’s your very first time. It’s relatively easy to keep your kids safe in a home that you’ve had an opportunity to childproof – but what about when you’re amid moving chaos? Here are a few tips to consider for keeping your milkids safe while you put your new home together:
- Use caution with medication and cleaning supplies. Your belongings tend to end up in random places throughout the house when you’re unpacking. Make sure medication and cleaning supplies end up behind a childproof lock or in a high cabinet where little hands can’t reach them.
- Check for carbon monoxide and smoke detectors. If you move into a home that already has them, make sure to change the batteries and test them. If your house doesn’t have them, you’ll want to install them as quickly as possible.
- Take precaution to prevent falls. It will take time for your family to adjust to the layout and architectural elements of your new home. Install safety netting to keep children from falling through railings that are too wide and repair any that are loose or broken. And, be sure to install gates at the top and bottom of staircases.
- Keep trash bags out of reach. Remember that plastic bags and packaging (which you’ll have a lot of during a move) are choking hazards.
- There’s no substitute for supervision. Pocket change will undoubtedly end up in the couch cushions, toys break, and sinks and bathtubs can easily overflow. It only takes a second for an accident to happen. Make it a rule to keep one eye on the box you’re unpacking and the other on the kids!
Once all the boxes are out of the way, do a walk-through of your new home, paying special attention to anything that will be at the eye-level of each of your children. This will allow you to identify and correct any safety issues before your child finds them. Wishing you many new memories in your new home!
