How To Make Your House Safer for Toddlers
How To Make Your House Safer for Toddlers
The moment a baby begins walking, they can’t be stopped. Even if you lose sight of them for a little second, your mind races with dread.
While constant supervision is important, there are steps you can take to make your house safer for children.
Evaluate the threats you face at home and write them down, and then you can work out a plan to reduce or eliminate them. Here are some ideas to help you get started.
Bathtime
Even if they’re older or with other siblings, you should still keep a close eye on your toddlers when they’re in the tub.
It’s possible for bathtime games and pretend fights to get rough, so it’s wise to be there just in case.
You should also turn your faucet so that the water flowing out is no hotter than 50 degrees Celsius. Avoid scalding your newborn or toddler by always checking the water and adding cold water if necessary.
They are too little to handle the hot water that busy parents relax in. So keep them out of the bathroom while you take a bath.
Baby and toddler bath time should not exceed 20 minutes as they can easily get cold after this time.
If you want to be ready for the worst, it’s also a good idea to research CPR classes. You can even get MyCPR NOW certifications so you can be confident in your skills in this area.
In the Kitchen
There are so many possible dangers in a kitchen that you might not even think about until your child can actually walk.
At which point it all becomes clear.
Once that happens, it’s crucial that you never leave your children unsupervised in the kitchen. Especially if there are hot items around.
It’s also a good idea to test your smoke and fire alarms regularly. If you don’t have them, install them ASAP. If yours are older than ten years or so, replace them entirely.
We should also talk about cleaning chemicals. If you have harmful chemicals in your home, such as cleaning products, get rid of as much as you can.
You can also consider switching to a non-toxic substitute. Any other potentially hazardous items should be kept out of reach in a locked cabinet.
Trip Hazards
Children of this age have not yet learned to control their speed. So they prefer to run or crawl as fast as they can.
This means they are at a much greater risk of tripping and falling than most other people and certainly compared to older children.
There are some things you can do to minimize this risk. For example, if they have to use the bathroom in the middle of the night, make sure there’s a nightlight on so they don’t stumble or hit anything.
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Install window guards or always use a lock on your window.
Put up railings on any balconies or staircases that children might access. Also, watch them as they climb the stairs and be there in case they fall.
It can also be a good idea to use padding or foam on sharp edges such as can be found on tables and cabinets to prevent injury.
Do you have any tips on how to make your house safer for toddlers?
Let me know, til then—cheers m’deres!
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Nancy Polanco is a freelance journalist, lifestyle content creator, and editor of Whispered Inspirations. She is a proud Mom to Gabby and Michaela and partner and best friend to Darasak. Having worked as part of a health care team for almost a decade, Nancy is happy to be back to her passion. She is a contributor to the Huffington Post, TODAY’s Parents, and an Oprah Magazine Brand Ambassador.
