Some things in your house are not supposed to be reached by your kids. Some are dangerous, some just very fragile. Do you teach your child to not touch these or do you ensure they are out of their reached / locked away?

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Rather than childproofing everything, I think it is definitely better to teach a child how to handle fragile objects. This will also help when one brings the child to visit a friend/relative, and the child would (hopefully) exercise some restrain when exploring the new environment. To introduce the concept of “fragile items”, you can first sit with your child and explain to him/her why is the item considered fragile (easily breakable, has special meaning). You can start with using a picture frame and let your child hold it while teaching him/her the proper way of handling it. That being said, dangerous items must still be kept out of reach and safety around the house must still be observed: - Install safety latches on the doors of all cabinets and vanities, especially those that contain chemicals or breakable glassware - Cover electric sockets - Remove all chemicals from under the sink and be aware that mops, sponges, toilet brushes, etc., have chemicals on them which children might access. - Keep chemicals and medications locked away, out of children’s reach. - Make sure cords on window blinds are not accessible to a child. - Keep sharp objects and dangerous tools out of children’s reach. - In the kitchen, turn the handles of pots and pans on the stove inward so that children cannot reach them. This article offers a very good take on this issue: http://www.nymetroparents.com/article/Don-t-Clear-the-Coffee-Table-?PageSpeed=noscript

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VIP Member

I would do both. It is good practice to child proof your house and ensure that dangerous objects are out of reach. People are taught not to steal, but we have locks on our doors anyway. Children are naturally curious and while they can be taught not to touch dangerous objects, they might not always listen AND they might just touch it anyway. It is only right to keep medicines, brightly coloured detergents and powders on the highest shelves or locked away. I've ever seen my young cousin trying to stick her finger into a live power socket. It really gave me a huge shock. After ensuring that your house is child proofed, teach your child why it is dangerous and why he shouldn't touch them. For example, you could use a doll for role play and act out dangerous situations. Use the doll's arm to touch a boiling kettle and make give out a loud yelp. Get the child to ask as many questions as he wants while prompting the child to question the incident. "Why do you think the doll is hurting?" "What do you think will happen if you touch the kettle?" Here are some tips for child proofing your house: http://sg.theasianparent.com/baby-proofing-home/

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If the kids are small, you can child proof the house especially sharp corners and edges. Also basic training regarding hot and cold things, sharp objects, slippery floors etc is necessary.

Syempre as much as possible eh ichild proof ang galawan ng mga bata sa bahay pero syempre kasabay na din dun ang pagtuturo sa kanila ng do's and dont's

VIP Member

We teach our LO about the dangers of breaking things etc. So for eg if she breaks something in the house she learns to be more careful in future.

Teaching is key, but some things are just nest to be kept out of reach to avoid any accidents

TapFluencer

Yes we tell our daughter and as much as we could we make our place child-friendly

thanks