If you’re doing a renovation project on your home — big or small — you might not think at first about what it means for your kids. Their safety is a top priority no matter what. Luckily, there are plenty of ways to ensure your children stay safe while your home is being worked on. Here are a few tips you can try out.
1. Send Them to Grandma’s
Sending your kids to spend a little bit of time with somebody else is usually the best-case scenario when renovating your home. However, this might not work for everybody. This tends to be best for short-term projects in large areas.
This also requires you to have somebody who is willing to take your kids for a couple of days while you work on your house, so it might not be ideal for everybody. It’s best for dangerous or time-consuming projects like the kitchen or bathroom, where people spend a lot of time.
2. Keep Tools Away
Keep your kids safe by storing tools out of reach throughout the project. Even if your children aren’t running into the construction site, you never know what might happen if something falls or somebody ends up where they aren’t supposed to be. Make sure everything is put away, even if you’re only walking away for a second or two.
3. Put up Barriers
If your children are younger, you might simply need to put barriers around the renovation site. This way, you can easily keep them safe and ensure everything goes smoothly. Baby gates are ideal to use in these situations, and you probably already have some on hand. They also work if you have pets, so you can keep your fur babies safe, too.
4. Have Designated Child Areas
Having designated areas where your child is supposed to spend most of their time can make things a lot easier, especially if the project in question is prolonged. This can be made easier if your kids have their own rooms, a playroom, or some outdoor space that can serve as a reprieve from being cooped up inside all day. However, with the right entertainment and a little bit of guidance, you can make plenty of areas work for this purpose. This will keep kids from wandering into the construction site, effectively making the entire house a safer place.
5. Take Out the Trash
You may not think of this as one of the primary threats to safety, but consider all the dangerous things you throw away during a renovation. Broken glass, toxic chemicals and sharp tools left lying around are all accidents waiting to happen. Fortunately, they can be prevented by tidying up the job site whenever you take a break or finish for the day. Make sure you take out the trash and never leave garbage lying around for little ones to find.
6. Keep the Air Clean
One danger you might not notice right away is air quality. Excessive dust and debris mean you should seal off your HVAC ducts and vents. Also, use plastic coverings and close doors so the rest of your home doesn’t get compromised. It’s important to protect your kids’ lungs as much as possible.
7. Get Them Involved
This idea won’t work if you have extremely young kids, pets, or babies. However, involving slightly older children and teenagers in your renovation can be a good idea. It can sometimes quell their curiosity and prevent them from venturing onto the site unsupervised, and it also makes for a great bonding experience.
Letting your kids help out with small tasks like painting or even some safe demolition can be exactly what you need to keep everybody safe. Of course, every child and family is different, so it’s important to gauge based on your kids’ maturity levels and needs. Also, make sure you’re following safety guidelines at all times.
8. Stick to the Timeline
Make sure you stick to the timeline you’ve set up for your project to ensure you don’t put anybody at additional risk by dragging things out. The sooner you finish up, the less time you spend worrying about safety.
9. Wrap It Up
One of the most important things you can do to ensure safety is simply to finish the project. Many people leave work unfinished or walk away from things when they get difficult, but you simply can’t live like this with children. Make sure everything comes to an end and actually gets finished. That way, life can return to normal.
Keeping Kids Safe During Renovations
One of the most important things you can do during home renovation projects is to make sure your children stay safe and protected. There are so many ways to ensure their safety throughout the process. All it takes is a little forethought.
Rose Morrison is the managing editor of Renovated, a home living site where she loves to share home renovation ideas to help people live their best DIY life. She’s especially passionate about sustainable living and incorporating greener habits into everyday life. For more from Rose, you can follow her on Twitter.
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