How To Keep Kids Safer

Keeping kids safer at home

- Malia Jacobson

With less time away from a caregiver’s gaze than kids enjoyed a few decades ago, children today may be the most supervised generation yet. Even with more caregiver supervision, one fact remains, kids are prone to accidents. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, accidental falls and injuries are still the leading cause of death for children under age 14, and most accidents occur in or around a child’s home.

“While we can’t eliminate every possibility, our best defense is to make our homes as safe as possible,” says child-proofing expert Kenny Lynerd, owner of Child Safe Home Inc. in Cary, North Carolina. Here’s how to keep kids safer, from birth through the teen years.

EARLY YEARS

Splash Guard Mention baby-proofing and most new parents think of baby gates and cabinet latches. While these items are important — baby gates should be screw-mounted at the top and bottom of all staircases — they don’t address all household hazards.