Young children are naturally curious about the world around them. It behooves the child to explore, as it promotes brain development and encourages building of neural pathways throughout the central and peripheral nervous systems. Through exploration, children begin to learn about objects and their properties, cause and effect, problem solving, and are afforded the opportunity for improving gross and fine motor skills. With the importance of free exploration in mind, parents are tasked with facilitating these important experiences while keeping their child safe.

When thinking about child safety, it is important to be informed on what are the most significant hazards so that parental efforts are effectively channeled. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the greatest threats to child safety (i.e. causing the most injuries) are: maltreatment by adults, motor vehicle accidents, fireworks, playground equipment, poisoning, drowning, residential fires, and falls. Armed with these facts, parents can assess where the focus on safety in their home should be.

There are many products on the market to help keep children safe. Among these are outlet covers, foam that covers sharp or hard edges on furniture, and gates to keep children either out of a certain area or confined to a specific area of the home. Investing in these products can assist in preventing injuries and can help to put parents' minds at ease. These products can also be used in a manner that allows for safe exploration by the child. An example of this is to put all harmful items into a few of the kitchen cabinets and install latches to prevent the child from opening these particular cabinets. Items that are safe, such as plastic containers and pots, can be stored in other cabinets to which the child has access.

New or inexperienced parents may feel overwhelmed or unsure on where to begin with childproofing their home. An invaluable resource is other parents, particularly those who currently have young children. New parents should consider consulting with other parents, as these parents can typically walk into a home and identify major hazards with a sweeping glance. This can offer a starting point for new parents.

In addition to childproofing the home, parent or caregiver supervision is essential to keeping children safe. Because parents must balance supervising children with managing household tasks, various levels of supervision must be implemented according

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