Curtain & Blind Safety in Your Kids Bedroom
As a parent or parent-to-be, your number one focus will be the health and safety of your kids. In fact, it doesn’t matter whether they are 18 months or 18 years, we always have their best interests in mind – even if they don’t listen anymore!
However, the home environment can present many dangers to young children. Take curtains and blinds, for example. Although they look great in a room, there’s a risk that kids can hurt themselves if they play around with them.
As such, what are the measures that you can take to ensure that they are safe in your home? Let us explain.
Keep your windows child-safe: Keep babies’ cots well away from windows and ensure that all blind and curtain cords are out of reach. This may mean not placing furniture next to windows – toddlers love climbing!
Child safety devices: You could install a safety device that adds another level of protection. This allows cords to be tightly wound around a cleat and out of reach, alternatively you could opt for electronically operated blinds.
Reduce the hazard: It is important to be aware at all times of child safety around the home. An extra safety measure is the installation of a safety device that either removes the cord loop or limits access to cords. A tension device (either a chain tensioner or cleat) can be anchored to the wall or floor so that young children cannot play with cords or put them around their neck.
Selecting the right curtain fabric type: There is no doubt that kids love to pull and tug on items around your home. While you can tell them off as many times as you like, it might be a good idea to invest in stronger fabric type for curtains in a kid’s bedroom.
For example, sheers and voiles – while they look great in a baby’s nursery, these fabrics are too lightweight and prone to damage especially when your youngest becomes mobile and wants to practice their climbing skills! In a kid’s bedroom, you’ll want a strong fabric that can take the odd pull and is also easy to clean should they get dirty.
If you need help, give us a call on 0800 579 0501 and we can offer helpful advice. We can also provide safety devices to keep your blind cords out of reach.
Worst Xmas ever?
There's a a lot of planning that goes into Christmas day and sometimes things just don't go to plan. But it can be a good thing - a family mishap or hilarious memory that you can laugh about in Christmases to come.
Whether you burnt the dinner or were stranded at an airport...
Share your Christmas mishaps below!
⚠️ DOGS DIE IN HOT CARS. If you love them, don't leave them. ⚠️
It's a message we share time and time again, and this year, we're calling on you to help us spread that message further.
Did you know that calls to SPCA about dogs left inside hot cars made up a whopping 11% of all welfare calls last summer? This is a completely preventable issue, and one which is causing hundreds of dogs (often loved pets) to suffer.
Here are some quick facts to share with the dog owners in your life:
👉 The temperature inside a car can heat to over 50°C in less than 15 minutes.
👉 Parking in the shade and cracking windows does little to help on a warm day. Dogs rely on panting to keep cool, which they can't do in a hot car.
👉 This puts dogs at a high risk of heatstroke - a serious condition for dogs, with a mortality rate between 39%-50%.
👉 It is an offence under the Animal Welfare Act to leave a dog in a hot vehicle if they are showing signs of heat stress. You can be fined, and prosecuted.
SPCA has created downloadable resources to help you spread the message even further. Posters, a flyer, and a social media tile can be downloaded from our website here: www.spca.nz...
We encourage you to use these - and ask your local businesses to display the posters if they can. Flyers can be kept in your car and handed out as needed.
This is a community problem, and one we cannot solve alone. Help us to prevent more tragedies this summer by sharing this post.
On behalf of the animals - thank you ❤️