BabySecurity Blog

Dust is a problem no matter how you look at it.  Not only does it make your place look untidy, it also makes you cough and feel generally unwell.  This isn’t surprising when you consider what you’re actually breathing in.

Ironically enough the worst thing you can do to prevent dust particles from filling the air you breathe is to clean it up.  This is because when you disturb it you make it worse.  Still, it’s there anyway and whether we disturb it or not, we all know that it’s harmful and we need to clean it up; so how do we do it?

There are three main things you need to do when cleaning up dust:

• Use a hoover to get rid of the thick stuff.  If you can get a hoover with a head specifically designed for hoovering in hard to reach places etc and getting rid of dust then this is best.  Long gone are the days when a feather duster is used to get rid of it; all you do with this is send it back into the air.
• Damp dusting.  Damp dusting is a way of getting rid of dusting without allowing it to blow up into the air.  Simply use a damp cloth to wipe over the dust area.  Keep the cloth clean by rinsing it out at regular intervals.
• Invest in an air purifier.  An air purifier will filter the air, capturing dust and other harmful contaminants in the filters.

What else can I do?

In order to make your dusting more effective you should really have an air purifier on its maximum setting whilst you are dusting or hoovering.  The reason for this of course is, despite using the methods above, as soon as you move the dust some of it will still go airborne and this will go straight into your lungs whilst you’re cleaning.  Who’d have thought that cleaning could be so hazardous?

The average air purifier can keep you from breathing in most of the harmful particles, but that’s not the main beauty of it.  The best thing about having an air purifier switched on whilst you’re dusting is the fact that a lot of the dust won’t settle back down in your room, on your furniture, it will be captured by the filters in the purifier.  Although an air purifier can never prevent dust from appearing, having one makes your home significantly less likely to harbour harmful levels of it.

As parents we’re all very concerned about burns and scalds, and we’re always looking for the best ways to treat them.  Only the other day there was a feature on ITV’s This Morning show detailing how burns and scalds are one of the most common causes of injury for children today.  This should not be something we should put up with, and surely the best way to treat these injuries would be to prevent them from happening in the first place.

The kitchen

The kitchen is by far the most dangerous place in the house for your children and every precaution should be taken to keep it a safe if you’re going to allow access for babies.  Sometimes you can’t help allowing toddlers access to your kitchen simply due to its position in the home, and if this is the case then you need to take even more care.  A kitchen that connects other rooms is an accident waiting to happen and requires some special attention to avoid scalding and burning accidents.

Scalding and burning are the main causes of injury in the kitchen primarily from the cooker and the kettle.  However, kettles can always be tidied away neatly with their cords kept a safe distance from the edge of the work surface; sadly the same cannot be said of the cooker top.  Often cookers are at a comfortable working height for adults, and too often this means that small children can reach up, unable to see properly, and subsequently burn themselves with dramatic and painful effect.

Sometimes children don’t even have to reach in order to burn themselves.  Some ovens are at the perfect height for children and incredibly dangerous.  A child that can reach the knobs on the oven or touch the door whilst the oven is on causing injury to their delicate skin. Stoves present serious danger of burning and you must act to prevent an accident happening.

Preventing child scalds and burns

There are some very basic safety tips you can use to prevent scalding accidents:

• Try not to leave the kitchen unattended for too long.  Although it doesn’t always seem practical, you can always try your best to stay with your cooking; not only will it be safer, you’ll also lessen the risk of burning dinner!
• If there are two adults in the house, make sure one of them is responsible for the children whilst the other one cooks.  Properly supervised babies are usually safe babies.
• Whenever possible try to cook on the back rings of the cooker top.  This will prevent having pans and open flames where your children can reach them. For hot oven doors you will need a Transparent-Oven-Door-Guard
• Make sure you know where your children are and what they are doing before you start cooking.  If necessary give them a task to do like colouring or drawing (something that will capture their attention and hold it) somewhere that is away from the kitchen whilst you begin cooking.

Having said all this, there are of course those occasions that accidents still happen.  According to Dr Dawn Harper from ITV’s This Morning show, there are a number of products that can dramatically reduce the chance of these accidents happening; especially in the kitchen.

There are relatively inexpensive products on the market such as those from the BabySecurity range of protectors.  The Emmay Hob Guard or Prince-Lionheart-Cooker-Hob-Guard-Adjustable   are vital safety precaution to buy for the kitchen and when you consider the price of them compared with the potential damage that can be caused by burning or scalding there really is no contest.  They are basically a heat resistant poly-carbonite plastic shield that easily attaches to the front of the hob/stove (or any work surface), preventing a child being able to reach up and touch anything at all.  The beauty Stove Guards is that they do not interfere with cooking in any way.

Another safety device featured on ITV’s This Morning show were the Emmay Stove and Oven Knob Covers.  These clever little devices are simply slot over the knobs and prevent your children being able to turn them on.  This way you can easily prevent gas leaks and potential burning accidents.

Conclusion

The kitchen can be a very dangerous place for your children, but if you follow the advice above then you should be in a better position to keep them safe from harm.  If you can prevent scalds and burns then you won’t need to treat them.

Decorating the baby’s room may be one of the most fun things parents do before the baby arrives. It is such an exciting time and parents love to take great care, down to the very last detail. Of course it is important to remember that all a baby really needs is you, food and a warm place to sleep to be completely loved and cared for, but nurseries are fun for the parents and can be designed in ways that make caring for the baby a little more practical.

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Stairs. They are an important centrepiece of the home and a large point of curiosity for babies. They have likely witnessed many people in the home going up and down them at various speeds and as soon as babies start to crawl, they often cannot resist the challenge of making their way up the stairs. Parents respond to this new development in several different ways.

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People often assume summer is the best time to have a baby, and they may have a point, but there are also advantages to having a baby in the winter as well. So, if you are planning to get pregnant, or are expecting a baby in the winter, here are some things to consider.

In winter, it’s cold, so perhaps there may not be so much motivation to get out and about with the baby. However, this is not always a bad thing. Getting out and about can be healthy for the mother and the baby to an extent, but in the early weeks of having a baby, it can be useful if the mother gives herself plenty of time to settle into being a new mum. If the mother is breastfeeding, she may find herself feeding almost all the time. This stage does not last forever, yet many new mothers find it hard. When it’s cold outside, it can feel much more normal to stay in, get a good box set of DVDs and relax on the settee; not worrying about how much time you’re spending resting, just being with your baby.

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There are some common questions you may have noticed as a new parent, from close friends and family, to complete strangers on the street. The number one question: “Is she a good baby?” It is odd no one ever asks “is she a bad baby?” even though the first question would imply that the second could be valid. But is there really such thing as a bad baby? People often soften the opposite of good by describing a baby as ‘difficult’ or ‘hard work.’ However, if the opposite of ‘good’ is ‘bad’, then that would still imply that if your baby isn’t good then there is some sort of problem either with your baby or your parenting.

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In this day and age, where women often have to prove they can do everything a man can do, there is also pressure on men when it comes to caring for a baby. There is a growing movement within feminism that recognises a woman’s unique role in caring for a baby while at the same time making plenty of room for the father to become involved and take responsibility as well. Crucially, he is seen as a father, not as a pseudo mother.

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It’s not always as straight forward as making sure your baby has the right clothes on when you go out and about, and if you’re a new parent there is no harm in reading a little advice from people who have had children and know what to expect.  This is why we’ve take the time to give you a few hints and tips when it comes to packing your baby changing bag.

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There’s a lot more to making your partner more comfortable during her pregnancy than simply making her drinks and getting her to put her feet up a little, it extends into a whole set of other areas that some people wouldn’t have even thought of.

There is a lot to consider for your partner when she is going through one of the biggest phases of her life. As the partner and father to be, you are the prime person who can comfort physically and emotionally. Check out these 10 steps that can really make difference to your relationship throughout the pregnancy.

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There are arguments for and against using play pens, but we’d like to posit the fact that they are of more use than they are detrimental.  The main argument against play pens is that they are restrictive and that they make your child feel enclosed; thus uncomfortable.  However, if you get the right play pen and use it correctly this is no longer an issue.  The bars or netting of a playpen needn’t be a prison; they can be a safe place to play at the right time.

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