Child safety? Dont forget about a proper non-slip strip for your stairs!

Child safety, also for your stairs!

Child safety? Dont forget about a proper non-slip strip for your stairs.

Did you know that more then 3000 accidents happen in one year time with young children going on or of the stairs? It is very easy to fall down and hurt yourself. Especially with young children you don't want to take this risk.. Most of the time you underestimate the behavior of your own child, but the exploring power of a young child is ofter very high. It is a good idea to take precautions and make sure your child won't get hurt or injured. Here I share with you some tips that can create more safety: 

1-The best solution of course is to place a safety balustrade at the top and the bottom of your stairs.
These barriers are easily ready to buy in a good construction market or maybe special shops that sell these kind of product. Also, IKEA had a very good one and for a good price. It is easy to assemble and this balustrade is totally closed. Some of them are not suitable because the space in between the slats should not be more then 10cm. Please also make sure there is a proper way to close it and lock it. The onces that, to open, you have to push and shove are the best.  If you like, you can also make one yourself, and maybe in between the slats place a robe or cloth. I talked about this before in another blog article. 

2- Don't leave stuff like shoes or laundry on the stairs, because this is an easy way to trip. 
Stuff on your stairs, often you put it their because you are in a hurry, and forget to take it upstairs. Of course, the stairs is a perfect place to collect your stuff that need to go upstairs, but a lot of accidents happen because of this stair collection.. Place a bin close to your stairs to put the stuff in you want to take up. This will keep your stairs clean and free from supplies. 

3-Don't let your child walk on the stairs with socks or slippery shoes.
Walking on the treads with socks, slippers or soft shoes, better don't do it! Especially when your stairs has small treads, glancing of your stairs is too easy. If you want to prefend this, maybe an advice would be to place a good width non-slipstrip onto the treads, best would be two next to eachother. These days a lot of stairs are being painted or coated with a lacquer. This gives a beautiful touch to your stairs, but you must not forget it also gets a bit more slippery. This also counts for the very populair stair-renovating-treads. Very fancy, but in the end, the tread stays slippery.
 

4-Do you want to teach your child how to walk the stairs? Stay behind your kiddie to make sure it is safe.
When the moment comes your young child starts to walk, and you want to teach it how to get upt the stairs, it is very important to stay close. Slowly let it climb the stairs while you are behind the child, or maybe hold one hand in a way. Also make sure they have good proper shoes when they start to climb.
 

 
5- Walking a stairs is very dangerous.

In the Netherlands the stairs that goes up to the attic is often open. If you have a stairs to your attic you know that the space between the treads is pretty big. You can decide to close this space, or if you don't want this, to make some sort of ridge the limit the space. 
This ridge should be width enough, so the space is not bigger then 10cm between the treads, otherwise your child will definetly fit trough. When the child is bigger, it will be easy to remove these ridges and your stairs will look normal again.