Should You Babyproof A Phone Jack? (Plus 4 Ways To Do It)
Life with a baby is a wonderful and humbling experience. But the moment they start crawling and expressing curiosity, normal household appliances and furniture can become a safety hazard.
Sharp edges, heavy appliances, electrical sockets — these items are typically taken care of first when you’re babyproofing your home. One thing many don’t consider is their phone jack. But should you babyproof a Phone Jack? We’ll dive into it in this article.
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Babyproof a Phone Jack: Why You Should Do it
The short answer is if you want to completely minimize the risk to your baby, then yes, you should probably baby-proof your phone jacks.
Between 40 to 50 volts of electricity are present in a standard phone jack. If a phone jack is in use (such as when the phone rings), then the electricity that passes through the jack can increase to 90 volts. Even if you don’t have a landline at home, the jack can still be active.
If you’re unsure if a jack in your home is active and would like to check, you can use a voltmeter.
Babies can get themselves into trouble pretty fast and you can’t keep an eye out on them 24/7. Although a phone jack doesn’t emit a ton of electricity and the chance of getting shocked is relatively low, babyproofing the jack will provide a safe environment for them, mitigating the risk altogether.
How to Babyproof a Phone Jack
There are a few methods to babyproofing the phone jacks in your home. Here are four of the most effective ways.
Duct Tape
The ever-versatile duct tape is one of the simplest solutions for baby-proofing your phone jack. Place duct tape over the jacks that aren’t being used but are still active. This way your little one won’t be able to stick any fingers or objects into the phone jack.
If you’re concerned about ugly gray duct tape on your walls, you’ll be glad to know that there are many decorative duct tapes available on the market these days.
Outlet Covers
Outlet covers and wall plates are a great way to prevent your baby from fiddling with your phone jacks. These covers are available in a variety of colors and styles to match your decor, and they install easily with no tools required. Removing them, if necessary, are also a cinch.
You can get a simple wall plate to cover your phone jack for under $10 online or at your local hardware store.
Furniture Placement
If you don’t have any of the previously mentioned items and can’t go (or don’t want to) purchase them, there is still more you can do. Keeping your little ones away from active phone jacks can be as simple as rearranging your furniture to cover the jacks.
This can also serve as a good temporary solution before you can get your hands on an outlet cover or some duct tape.
Removing the Phone Jack
In the past, when everyone had a landline telephone in their home, this may have not been a viable option. But if you’re like many people, chances are you don’t even use the phone jack in your home. A permanent solution to prevent your baby or toddler from playing with the phone jack is to get it removed.
You’ll most likely need to hire an electrician to do this, however, if you’ll never use it again, what’s the point of having it there?
Final Thoughts
When a toddler starts to move around the home, babyproofing is a must. But phone jacks are often overlooked. This could be because it’s relatively low risk, or simply because most people don’t use them. However, active phone jacks are still electrified and could be a risk for a curious child. Covering them is an easy and inexpensive process, so if you’re looking to make your home as safe as possible for your little one, there’s no reason not to babyproof your phone jacks.
