Toddlers are curious by nature. From seeing what objects can be flushed down the toilet to how many raisins can fit up their nose, a toddler's curiosity helps her learn about the world around her. But this curiosity can also lead to injury or even death if you don't take the proper precautions to make your home a safe place for exploration.
Preventing Falls
You may need to modify many areas around the home to protect your child from falls. The bathroom should have rubber mats in the tub and a skid-proof rug on the floor to prevent slips. You should keep stairs clear of toys and clutter and install hardware-mounted baby gates made especially for stairs on both ends of the staircase. Add window guards to second floor windows and move items such as toy boxes and chairs away from windows. Televisions, cabinets and other furniture should be fastened to the wall to prevent objects from tumbling onto children.
Preventing Poisoning
Household cleaners, mothballs, lawn and garden products, gasoline, motor oil, medications and vitamins should be kept on high shelves or in a locked cabinet to prevent accidental poisoning. Pay special attention to unexpected places such as a guest's purse or suitcase that may have medications or vitamins inside. Remove plants such as azalea, holly, lily-of-the-valley, iris and mistletoe from your toddler's reach. These plants are poisonous if ingested.
Preventing Burns
Prevent burns by keeping a child away from cooking areas during meal preparation. Turn pot and pan handles toward the back of the stove to prevent accidental spills. Never carry hot food and a child together or cook while holding a child. Avoid tablecloths and place mats. A child can easily pull these items off the table along with hot food. Keep matches and other flammable items locked away or out of reach. Set the thermostat on water heaters to 120 degrees to prevent burns in the bathtub.
Preventing Choking
Small objects on the floor can be appealing to a toddler. Be sure to check for items such as beads, toy parts, earrings or other choking hazards in corners and under furniture that may be missed when vacuuming. Try crawling on the floor at toddler level to be sure no small objects are within reach.
Never leave a toddler alone while eating or drinking. Never feed a toddler foods such as nuts, seeds, hard candies, popcorn and raisins. These foods are difficult to chew and can easily be lodged in a child's throat.
Preventing Suffocation
Keep all plastic bags, cellophane wrappers and dry cleaning bags away from small children. A toddler can suffocate by putting the bag over his head or getting a piece of the cellophane stuck in his throat. Never allow a toddler to wear clothing with drawstrings, such as sweat pants and hooded jackets. The string can become tangled around a toddler's neck and cause strangulation. Cut apart the loops in the strings of window blinds to prevent accidental hanging, and never place a crib or bed near the window.
Preventing Drowning
A small child should always be supervised when swimming in a pool or lake. Be sure backyard swimming pools and hot tubs have at least a 4-foot fence around the outside and have a self-locking gate to ensure a child does not accidentally fall into the water. A small child can drown in only one inch of water, so empty mop buckets and drain the bathtub as soon as you are finished. Place child-proof locks on toilet seats. A toddler can fall head first into a toilet and be unable to push herself back out. Keep fish tanks out of reach of a small child. Never leave a child unattended in the bathtub for any reason.
