Child proofing your home

The first thing my toddlers could do to hurt themselves was crawling near furniture and cabinet corners that had pointed edges. A good way to prevent this is to use a folded washcloth or piece of foam rubber and some duct tape; wrap the cloth around the pointed edges and tape it securely.

Do not keep cleaning chemicals on the bottom shelve of anything. Always keep harmful household cleaners as high as possible. Make sure all medicines are in childproof containers.  A smart thing to do is always have syrup of ipecac on hand just in case you need to induce vomiting.

Never leave lighters or matches lying around where a toddler can reach them. Use outlet covers on all electrical outlets; you can buy them at most stores and their cheap. Don’t leave small appliances on countertops with the cord handing down or on the edge because a child could grab and pull the appliance down onto them causing a serious injury.

Always supervise a running bath and never leave you toddler in the bathtub unattended. Be a stickler to the rule of “no jumping on the bed” especially if it has a wooden or metal headboard or footboard because your child could fall striking his/her head and end up in the emergency room getting a few stitches.

Keep plastic bags out of reach because they could suffocate a toddler. Put a toddler proof gate at the bottom and top of stairs; I wouldn’t recommend using the kind that opens and closes like an accordion because a toddler could get their head stuck.

Turn pot handles toward the back of the stove when they are in use to prevent burns. Don’t allow people to wear shoes in areas where your toddler crawls and plays; they could come in contact with germs from the dirt on the bottom of the shoe and cause them to be ill if they get it in their mouth.

There are many things you can do to prevent your toddler from getting in harm’s way; remember “it’s better to be safe than sorry”.