It is a pleasure to watch your munchkin grow into a toddler. Now, they can sit without support and are trying to stand or are already walking and discovering the excitement of reaching places on their own tiny feet.
This is also the time when you should make sure your home is baby safe. Take measures to prevent any potential accidents or falls that could severely injure your little one. You may feel you have saved them from the sharp edges of the furniture or from the open electric sockets that could harm them—but there is still more to it.
Get on all fours and look around from your baby’s perspective—their world even inside the four walls of the home isn’t completely safe. Here are 10 things parents must be wary about when considering home safety for their toddler.
1. Floors That Are Dirty
Your home floor including the doormat offers a favorable space for dust and infection causing germs. If your baby crawls or loves sitting and scattering their toys on the floor, make sure it is clean. Children often pick up toys from the carpet, wooden or marble floor and put it in their mouth—the same place where visitors would walk in with their shoes on, bringing along dirt from outside.
Ask your visitors to keep their footwear outside and make your baby sit on a blanket when they are playing while sitting on the floor.
2. Windows And Window Blinds
Windows that are low, open to about 4 inches and have no screen protection can be dangerous for babies, especially if they are on the upper storeys—there is always a risk of a fall.
Window blinds and shades may seem harmless, but sadly, their cords have been the reason behind various deaths due to strangulation. Between 1981 to 1995, around 360 deaths of children aged 3 and below were reported in the US alone.1 Due to strangulation the child cannot even call out for help.
Use cordless window shades, if there is already one at your home, keep it out of the reach of your children or restrict their movement by adjusting their length using cord stops. Attached window stopping devices to prevent windows from opening wide. Place window guards against them to prevent any accidents.
3. Toxic Houseplants
Houseplants do add to the aesthetics of your room and can act as room fresheners. However, if you have a baby in your house, buy your plants wisely.
Some houseplants like Dumb Cane and Caladium can prove to be poisonous if your baby nibbles on them and tastes them out of curiosity. Keep them out of their reach. If other plant pots have small rocks or pebbles, keep them outside the house—your baby could choke on them.
4. Furniture Like Lamps And Bookshelves
Your toddler might be too excited to move around the house and get fascinated by new things. For instance, they may notice something on a book shelf and try to climb up or might touch or push around a lamp. These pieces of furniture may seem innocuous but could harm your baby either by tossing over and injuring them.
Attach the bookshelf to the wall if it is shaky and or can possibly fall if pulled. Have a table lamp that is placed farther back on the table and the cord tucked away so that it doesn’t get pulled.
5. Fire Places
If you have a functional fireplace and a crawling or walking toddler in your home, you must always be on alert. Toddlers can reach over and get burn and injuries from the hearth of the fireplace. Add a soft fireplace guard for the safety of your kids.
6. Tiny Toys And Toy Parts
Children often have a habit of putting small things in their mouth to taste them out of curiosity. Your tiny tots can swallow these small toy parts or even choke on them. If your older child has such toys, make sure your little one doesn’t get their hands on them. Explain about the potential hazard to your elder child as well when the siblings are playing together.
7. Button Batteries
Batteries are a serious health hazard for your kid—they can even cause death. They can release toxic chemicals that are fatally harmful if ingested. Children could get attracted to button cells and swallow them right away since they give out a shine and are about the size similar to candies like Gems or Smartie. A corrosive chemical reaction could cause burns in the food pipe and in most cases, result in death.
Such batteries are found in television remotes, small toys, and even some musical greeting cards.
Your baby’s safety of utmost importance. There isn’t any place safer than home—make sure your kids grow up in a environment where they feel secure.
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