Childproofing Your Home with Style

Perhaps you've recently visited a friend's house and all you saw was large plastic safety locks everywhere. Or perhaps, you didn't have to go to a friend's house to see the safety features; instead you just turned toward your kitchen. Having children is a joy, but the safety devices, we must place everywhere are a hassle and an eyesore. After all these years, companies have finally begun to understand that we want our homes to be both safe and beautiful.

First things first - the horrible plastic locks on the cabinet doors that never seem to open when you most desperately need them to open. Rather than trying to pry the pieces of plastic off the handles, you can now purchase smaller, hidden plastic locks that go on the inside of the door. With these you simply push down on the plastic, and the cabinet door opens. These are especially wonderful before children get too tall as they may eventually learn the secret.

Speaking of doors - what can we do about the larger doors in our entry ways and rooms? There are several options now. In order to keep children out of a room, you can purchase a small round piece of plastic that goes over any doorknob. When a small child reaches up, the piece will simply bounce around. However, adults can push on two tiny finger holds, grasp the door knob, and open the door. If you have a white door, you can buy a white ball and people will scarcely notice its existence.

If you're like me, you had you hand smashed in doors a time or two as a child. Once you have the experience, you are willing to do anything so that it is not repeated and want the same for your child. Manufacturers now make small pieces of plastic that will stick onto the edge of the door so that if the door is slammed it will not close all the way, protecting your child's fingers from harm. This tool can be purchased in a color matching your door so that it is not noticeable. Your child will be safe, while your door is remains beautiful.

Other almost unnoticeable options for child safety exist in small on/off appliance locks that can be purchased to match your appliances. The locks lock automatically if the on switch is turned, and you can place them high enough on the door so that children cannot reach them. These locks will help keep children's hands out of your refrigerator and oven. Also, you can get cord windups to keep the curtain cords out of childrens' reach without having to wrap the cord on a nail or tie it in knots. These small changes will help remind people that they are in an adult home rather than a child play center. Additionally, they will help you have peace of mind about your child's safety while still living in a home that doesn't feel like a child's play center!

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Rhonda Morin, owner of http://myinteriordecorator.com and author of The Decorating Bible, enjoys writing and teaching others how to decorate their homes their way online.

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Copyright (R) Rhonda Morin, MyInteriorDecorator.com. Article may not be reprinted without permission and may not be reprinted without author byline including the active links.

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