Is Your Home Dangerous To Your Child’s Health?

Our homes are supposed to be loving, carefree spaces, but if we’re not taking enough care of them, then they can also pose a bigger risk to our health than we would like to think. This is especially relevant to children, whose bodies are developing as they grow up in the family home. Below, we take a look at a few of how our homes pose a threat to our health, and include some much-needed advice about how you can keep the threats at bay.

Dampness

It’s worth paying attention to any small leaks or patches of moisture that you see in your home because it can cause a lot of trouble in the long run. There are four main dangers that dampness can present. It can cause bacteria, bring in pests, attract dust mites, and most worryingly of all, mold. This last one can make us feel ill and can lay up a child in bed - or, perhaps even more insidiously, make them feel constantly unwell, without every being severe enough to seek medical attention. If you see any signs of dampness - either in the home or because of a family’s ill health - then get it taken care of straight away by drying it up and taking steps to add more ventilation in the home.

Air Quality

It’s important to make sure that the air we’re breathing is clean. If it’s not, there’ll be plenty of microbial allergens floating around in our homes, which can negatively affect the health of our family. As such, it’s important that you’re regularly servicing your heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems so that the air that’s being circulated is clean. If it’s not, you could be pumping in the bad air, and affecting your child’s developing lungs in the process.

Crowded House

It doesn’t sound too threatening on paper, but if your house is too small for the number of children you have, then they are much more likely to have serious problems - such as respiratory problems and growing issues - than those who have more space to roam. Of course, this is a problem that is harder to solve, but if you have no choice other than to double up children in bedrooms, make sure they have readily available access to the outdoors to help them get a reprieve from the outdoors.

Too Much Tech

The experts are unclear exactly how much damage technology can do, but the consensus is that it isn’t good. The effects aren’t physical: they’re mental, with children becoming addicted to technology and then being unable to cope with everyday, simple tasks that aren’t connected to a screen. As well as affecting their concentration and anxiety levels, it also makes children more sedentary, which causes problems to do with obesity and also posture related issues. If you have a house that’s reliant on technology as the primary source of entertainment, look at introducing some technology free hours into the evening.

Too Much Clutter

We’re all guilty of acquiring more stuff than we need, but aside from cluttering our mental space, it’s important to think about how clutter is affecting the overall safety of our home. If your home is stacked from floor to roof with clutter, your home will be a danger zone, where children are liable to fall and injured themselves, all thanks to those stacks of magazines and busy living areas. A simplified room provides a space that’s free from hazards - both mental and physical.

Fire Hazard

There are hundreds of thousands of fires in homes across the country each year, and each and everyone one of them could have been avoided with a little bit extra care and attention. Of course, some fires are down to good old human error; irons that aren’t switched off and candles that are left unattended all pose a risk, but even old electrical appliances that aren’t unplugged can also be a danger. There are plenty of preventative measures you can take, but above all, the key is to be prepared. Check your fire alarm systems are working on a regular basis, and also have an extinguisher in your room - and also ensure that all family members know how to use it. Remember, nobody ever thinks they will have a fire in their home...until it’s too late.

Conclusion

You can’t keep every aspect of your home completely safe. Danger lurks in all corners, and they’ll always be risks.. The key is to be aware of the risks and take preventative steps wherever possible.