6 Cheap Ways to Childproof Your Home

Let’s face it. It is in your own home that your children will have the highest risks of getting injured or harmed. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, most home accidents happen because of many reasons and these include water, fire, toxic materials and risks for the child to fall. If you are worried that your child is prone to accidents then it is best to take precautions. Remember, supervision remains the best defense against any kind of accident. But, if you have to stay away it is best to childproof your home. Here are some ways to childproof your home on a shoestring budget.

Plugging the holes

When you are childproofing your home the very first thing that often comes to mind will be the electrical outlets. These outlets are easily within the reach of the crawling child and with curiosity it can lead to a shocking result. This is why it is best to invest in electrical tape. Plastic socket plugs are great but they can be costly. Electrical tape over the sockets provides the same kind of protection but at a cheaper cost. If you can double it up with duct tape for maximum protection. Hey, it may not be pretty to look at but whoever said that this is a beauty contest?

Secure the heavy stuff

When your child is starting to explore the world around him it is easy for heavy stuff like furniture or bookcases to topple and pin them. Bookcases are naturally notorious because it can easily topple when a toddler would use it to try to pull himself up. It would be great if you can secure the unstable bookcase by bracing it against the wall. Better yet, remove the potential accident hazard. Also, make sure that the table cloth is not easily reached by the children so they will not be pulling it when trying to stand up and topple the table and pin them.

Away from the water

There are several issues that you need to be concerned about water and childproofing. These are burns from hot water, falling into the water and slipping because the water has made the floor too slippery. The only thing that you need to spend money on is to buy some locks on the toilet seat to prevent your child from getting injured from going into the toilet bowl. It is best to find ways to completely cover the taps or to regulate the hot water temperature. It is best to keep the bathroom door closed at all times.

Contacting the glass

One great way of keeping the glass safe for children is to invest on rolls of contact. You can get some contact from supermarket and other stores. Roll contact on the glass panels in your house that can be harmful or dangerous to your child. If in the event the glass gets broken it will not shatter into a million pieces since it will prevent the slivers of glass from hurting your children.

Smoothing the edges


We all have edges around the house and it is easy for children to get injured. Try to get some Styrofoam from your local store and use some duct or packing tape and put it on the edges. This is again ugly to look at but we are looking to protect the child, right?

Covering the cupboards

Cupboards should never be an area that children should be getting into, especially those containing harmful substances and medicines. Invest on inexpensive elastic bands. Tie one end of the knob to an elastic band and tie it to the other knob so it will be harder for the child to open the cupboard door. You can also invest on plastic covers that would prevent the children from turning the knobs. They come in cheap and great to have in your home.

There are other things that you can do in the house that can protect your child without spending much. As a parent you need to be worried about accidents at home. For one good reason and that is because your children will spend most of their time at home especially in the very early stages of life when they are yet to go to playschool or regular school.

Ryan Rivera used to suffer from anxiety attacks for seven years.  For more information regarding these topics, check out his Calm Clinic Google+ account.

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6 Big Mistakes in Workplace Stress Management


John jumped into a new job hoping the sweeter compensation will allow him to afford the mortgage of the house and even get a car for his family. After he moved into the new office he started to get uncomfortable. It seems that the whole workplace felt as if it was a snake pit. Well, John may be exaggerating but he finds the new workplace something that gets on his nerves. Suddenly, John’s stress levels went through the roof and his productivity suffered. No matter how great the compensation would be but when there is stress in the workplace, you will be in for a lot of trouble. Let us take a look at the common mistakes that occur in the workplace that impacts productivity.

Unable to tell the signs of stress

Majority of people that are suffering from workplace stress are unable to tell that they are already suffering. Sometimes, people would dismiss their change in mood and confidence to the rigors and demands of work. They don’t want to read the writings on the wall that they are under too much stress which could push them over and lead them to bigger problems. When you are starting to become irritable and withdrawn in the workplace; try to discuss things with your supervisor or manager. This will enable them to take a look on how to help you cope with workplace stress better.

Unable to provide a great ambiance

If you are working with poor lighting, loud noise and uncomfortable office furniture then you have an excellent recipe for workplace stress. One study showed that office noise is the biggest single reason for stress in the workplace. The endless telephone ringing, the beeps on the computer when there is an incoming e-mail and creaky desks and chairs that are yet to be replaced contribute to stress. It is time to stop anxiety from reaching harmful levels that may affect productivity that could lead to job loss.

Unable to promote health habits

A great management team should be able to educate its workforce on the benefits of excellent health habits. It starts with the right placement of desks and chairs that would promote great posture. The management should promote exercise in the workplace through information drives on how to get some while near the desks or to utilize the office gym. The company may provide gym vouchers for employees to start exercising more if there are no in-building gym facilities available.

Unable to organize things well

Would you feel better if the whole office is a mess? Of course you would not feel one bit better, right? This is when time management should intervene and take time to educate the employees to become more organized. When you are able to locate files with ease, then you will not become too stressed looking when the boss is asking for it. The workplace should become an enjoyable and pleasant environment. It would also be good to add some decorations that are simple but make sure that it would make the entire place look relaxing not cluttered.

Unable to stop pushing people

Pressure adds to stress. When people are pushed too far against rising expectations to reach certain metrics; things tend to go downhill from there. This is why management should be able to carefully weigh everything and never let the pressure affect how the employees enjoy doing their jobs.

Unable to provide transparency

Transparency gives employees a sense of security and calmness that they deserve so they can work in peace. One of the common sources of workplace stress is having less than transparent management team and the constant rumors of downsizing. This may lead to apathy and even reduced appetite for food which can be bad. A lot of people that are under a lot of stress may lose interest in work and could have an alcohol or drug binge to remedy their situation.

It doesn't take a major overhaul to make the workplace better. You can start by fixing how the lighting and the furniture are arranged. Then you can move up in addressing other issues that can generate a lot of stress. Let’s save John from stress and help him achieve his dreams in life.

Ryan Rivera writes about panic attacks, depression, stress and anxiety. You may reach him through his Calm Clinic Twitter account.

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