Safety first: parents spend nearly £200 childproofing their homes

• Parents spend on average £196 making homes safe for their children
• The kitchen, staircase and garden are the most common areas where accidents occur
• Parents share hilarious tales of toes stuck in bath taps and cake tins stuck on heads
• Keeping hazardous chemicals or medicines out of reach, installing fire and smoke detectors and safety gates are some of the most common preventative measures parents use to keep their littles ones safe

Parents who spend on childproofing their homes, spend on average £196 to prevent accidents, with a third of parents (33 per cent) willing to spend between £200 to £400, according to new research from Churchill Home Insurance.¹

Parents report that the kitchen (34 per cent), staircase (27 per cent) and garden (24 per cent) are the most common areas where little ones have accidents at home. Falls and trips (78 per cent) were the most frequent type of accident in the living room, often resulting in cuts or bruises (29 per cent) or burns or scalds (10 per cent).

Parents shared amusing stories on home incidents and tips on how to avoid any mishaps. One parent provided this advice: ‘Don’t leave children unattended around scissors, unless you want them to give themselves a haircut!’. Another reminisced about the time their child ‘got a cake tin stuck on his head!’. A further parent relayed an episode when their ‘daughter got her toe stuck in the bath tap’. The solution? ‘We were able to use olive oil to get it out.’

To learn about child safety and accident prevention measures, parents choose to read online articles or websites (33 per cent), engage with social media influencers (20 per cent) or rely on parenting books and magazines (19 per cent). Keeping hazardous chemicals and medicines out of reach, smoke detectors and safety gates are some of the most common childproofing measures parents deploy.

Table One: Top five child proofing safety measures  

Source: Churchill Home Insurance

Sarah Khan, Head of Churchill home insurance, said: “A child’s safety remains the ultimate priority for parents and our research shows that parents invest significant sums in childproofing their homes. 77 per cent of parents also brief family and friends on child safety measures before passing over their children into their care. While some accidents can’t be avoided, especially the more trivial ones, we would encourage people to consider any potential risks in their home and take the necessary precautions to keep their little ones safe.”

Other tips to help keep a home safe for children include:

• Securing heavy or tall furniture to the floor or wall, as well as any dangerous items on table tops that could fall.
• Using safety treads of non-skid mats in the bathtub to prevent falls.
• Securing windows with locks, including window blinds with dangling cords.
• Locking accessible cabinets (with key lock or childproofing temporary locks) which contain dangerous items.
• Covering pointed edges on tables/cabinets/drawers/worktops with corner protectors.
• Keeping all sharp objects (e.g., knives, scissors etc.) stored in a safe place out of reach.
• Avoiding keeping hot foods and liquids within reach, i.e., on the edge of counters and tables.
• Beware of toys and other objects that can be ingested or used as steps to climb over rails.

ENDS

Notes to Editors

¹ Survey research conducted between 8/03/2023 – 13/03/2023 with a sample of 1,000 parents with a child aged 0-10 years old.

For further information please contact:

Hayley Saunders

Churchill PR Manager

Email: hayley.saunders@directlinegroup.co.uk

Churchill

Founded in 1989, Churchill is now one of the UK's leading providers of general insurance, offering car, home, travel and pet insurance cover over the phone or on-line.

Churchill general insurance policies are underwritten by U K Insurance Limited, Registered office: The Wharf, Neville Street, Leeds LS1 4AZ. Registered in England and Wales No 1179980. U K Insurance Limited is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority.  

Churchill and U K Insurance Limited are both part of Direct Line Insurance Group plc.  

Customers can find out more about Churchill products or get a quote by calling 0300 200 300 or visiting www.churchill.com.