Our homes reflect who we are and are a chance to highlight our style and personality. Our homes are where we can gather with our friends and family to celebrate and create lifelong memories. Above all of this, our home is our safe place where we protect and care for those that we love. Ensuring your home is safe for your children and pets is important work. Childproofing drawers, outlets, and doors is something important that we all focus on to ensure the safety of the children in our life. Most of us likely do not consider the danger that window blind cords can pose. That is why the Window Covering Safety Council has designated October National Window Covering Safety Month. Bringing attention to this incredibly important issue is critical to ensure that no child suffers needlessly from dangerous window cords. 

The United States Consumer Product Safety Commission has listed corded window coverings as one of the top five hidden hazards in American homes. Infants and young children face strangulation hazards from window cords, a serious accident that can only take seconds to happen. Consumer safety advocates and manufacturers have come together to agree that only cordless window coverings or inaccessible cords should be used in homes with young children.

If you have small children or small children visit your home, it is important to take the steps necessary to ensure their safety. Here are the actions you can take to ensure your windows are child safe. 

Replace

Replace window blinds, corded shades and draperies with products that are cordless or have inaccessible cords. Products marked with a “Best For Kids” label are available at major retailers all over the United States. The Best for Kids™ certification program makes it easy for parents and caregivers to make the right choice to help them identify the window covering products that are best suited for homes with young children. In order to be eligible for this certification, manufacturers must meet the specified program criteria and submit their window covering products to a designated third-party testing laboratory.  Once products pass testing, they may be labeled Best for Kids™.

Move

Looking at furniture arrangement and how it helps or hinders access to windows is important when considering window safety.  If you are not able to transition to cordless window blinds, consider carefully the proximity of your furniture to accessible cords. Move all cribs, beds, furniture and toys away from windows and window covering cords, preferably to another wall. 

Hide

Even if there is no furniture nearby or seemingly no easy access to the window cord it is still important to keep them out of the sight and reach of children. Ensuring that all window covering cords are out of sight and reach, by shortening or tying them up and away, so that they are inaccessible to young children is crucial. 

Take time this October to make sure your home is as safe for the little ones in your life as possible. Pass this information on to other families to ensure that they know all they need to keep their children safe. There is no better gift you can give yourself or someone you love than new safe cordless window blinds. Contact the team at Blind Appeal and find out just how easy it is to get sophisticated, stylish, and above all else safe cordless window treatment can be.