The question of up to what age child safety devices are needed cannot be answered in general terms, as the developmental stage of the respective child and their individual urge to explore have a major influence on the need for appropriate safety precautions.
So let's start by discussing when child safety locks become useful.
Since child safety devices are intended to protect children from dangers and to make certain areas and contents of the home inaccessible to children, the point at which they become mobile is relevant. As soon as our little ones start rolling, crawling, or creeping, the first areas need to be secured. When children start pulling themselves up and learning to walk, there is suddenly another potential hazard in the home.
Of course, there are also parenting approaches that involve equipping a household with children with few or no child safety devices. How well this works depends on the household's circumstances, the children's curiosity, and parental supervision.
Assuming the household is equipped with appropriate child safety devices, the lifespan of different devices will vary. For example, most children quickly learn that they could trap their fingers in doors and drawers, soon manage to climb up and down the stairs safely, and no longer fall out of bed.
Experts explain that children only begin to develop an awareness of danger around the age of four, an acute awareness of danger around the age of five, and are able to anticipate dangers by the age of eight. So-called preventative danger awareness is attributed to the age of nine to ten.
To protect children as they develop, child safety devices should be used in an age-appropriate and developmentally appropriate manner. While accidents in the home caused by falls, getting stuck, burning, or scalding, as well as those involving electricity or chemicals, are more likely to be avoided at a younger age, older children require different child safety measures, such as those available online.
Personally, I don't want to overprotect my children, but I still want to safeguard them from dangers. For example, I opted against anti-pinch protection for our drawers. However, I did secure our steep staircase, as well as the electrical outlets and cables. We stopped needing the stair gates by the time our children turned two, but this can vary from family to family. Cleaning products, on the other hand, will certainly remain out of reach for quite some time. Since my children are two years apart, almost all of our child safety devices are used for at least four years at a time and have proven their worth. Some things will remain in place permanently, like our childproof electrical outlets, which, incidentally, are much easier to use than the familiar twist-lock or slide-lock covers.
To ensure children grow up safely, my answer to the question of how long to use child safety devices is as follows: Decisions about what is needed and for how long should be made individually, depending on the child's development. Parents should trust their instincts and consult experts if unsure. Many experts in home safety for babies and children offer individual consultations and, upon request, home visits. And if in doubt, it never hurts to use one or two safety devices a little longer – after using them for a while, you've usually become accustomed to their use anyway.
Author: Victoria Blendl, GADGETO Products