Via Parents.Com
Being a parent can be a challenging and daunting task. Being a parent of a child under 5 can be even more challenging.
Each day the parents of small children have to clean disastrous messes, baby proof homes and constantly make sure there are no small or large items lying around for little fingers to grab hold of. Children often move at lightening speeds and the moment they believe you are no longer focused on their every move is the moment they begin looking for the nearest danger they can get themselves into.
What can be even more shocking to parents who are obsessed with protecting their children from danger is that they often overlook some of the dangerous items and areas of their home leaving their most treasured loved ones susceptible to danger.
Cooking Utensils
According to Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) household utensils are one of the leading causes of home fires and other injuries. This applies not only to those adults cooking in the kitchen but it applies to those small children who often find themselves trying to mimic the actions of their parents and end up making grave mistakes. To avoid this danger parents should pack their cooking utensils in a safe place where children are unable to have access to them.
Dish Washers
It's shockingly surprising that dish washers can be hazardous to children. If you're like me, you know first-hand that dish washers can seem like play time for small children. Suddenly, children are obsessed with climbing in and out of the small compartment designed for your dishes. While dish washers alone can be a safety hazard, Detergent can be too. Detergent can irritate your child's skin and eyes and if you're not careful it can also harm your mouth and esophagus. So how does one avoid such a disastrous situation with their little one and their dishwasher? Keep dishwashers secured at all times and make sure that detergents are out of the reach of children.
Garage Doors
A 3-year-old girl in Maryland was tragically killed when a garage door crushed her little body in half. After a thorough investigation it was determined that the garage door itself had malfunctioned. While tragic this story is not unheard of. Many people fail to neglect the importance of maintaining your garage doors. It is important that you take the necessary precautions needed to make sure that your garage doors are up to date and functioning properly.
Latex Balloons
Practically every child is obsessed with balloons. I'm not sure if it's the multiple colors or the size but there is something incredibly intriguing about these objects to children. In fact, according to a study conducted at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, in Worcester over 100 children have choked to death since 1973. In order to avoid such a disastrous out-come it has been suggested that all children who are under 8 years old be supervised by an adult when using balloons.