As a parent, you’re probably looking forward to seeing your toddler start to walk and explore. You want him to learn more about the world and let him use his newfound skills in realizing how things work.
While encouraging your child to explore is good, it’s your responsibility as a parent to make sure that his environment is safe and free from hazards. He should be able to walk and explore as much as he likes without you worrying constantly about any tragedy.
If you haven’t childproofed your toddler’s room yet, now is the perfect time to do it. Below are some awesome tips you can definitely use.
Remove choking hazards
Keep away toys with small parts out of your kids’ reach. Remember to remove tiny balls, coins, marbles, pins, and pen caps from your toddler’s room.
You may also want to keep away balloons as they are believed to be the most common toys to get involved in choking accidents. If your child bites a latex balloon, it can pop. A piece of it can enter your kid’s lungs and choke him.
One thing you can do to make sure your child isn’t able to get his hands on his small toys by himself is to get a place where you can store them. For example, you can get an Amish toy storage box and put a lock on it.
Secure your furniture and windows
As your child begins to explore, he might start climbing up your furniture and cabinets. If they aren’t stable enough, the weight of your child can pull them forward and down on him. This can lead to a very fatal accident.
So, to prevent that from happening, ensure that your furniture and cabinets are secured. You can invest in furniture wall straps to make sure they don’t move or fall down. Another trick is to secure the furniture to the walls with a wall anchor.
Now, the quality of your furniture matters as well. You see, a piece of furniture that’s made of knock-off materials are weak and light. They can fall down easily. putting your child’s safety at risk. With that, consider investing in high-quality Amish kids’ furniture and toys.
Whether your child’s room is in the first or second floor, you have to be very careful about your windows, too. Make sure that they are locked or you can get a window stopper.
Safe plate electrical outlets
Children learn fast by watching what adults do. So if they see you removing and replacing outlet covers after using the vacuum or testing out a new appliance, he’s likely to do the same and copy you. To be extra secure, install some safety plates for your electric outlets.
Additionally, you may also want to get wire guards as part of your childproofing process. These guards can help minimize your child’s curiosity. It can also stop lamps and light fixtures from falling on his head.
Get hooks for your toddler’s cabinets
In addition to the fear of having cabinets falling over your child, there’s also the risk of him getting trapped inside one. Children like to hide when playing and their closets provide an excellent hiding spot.
To help make sure that your kid can’t get trapped inside, buy closet hooks. Place them on spots where he can’t reach.
Keep his bed low
If your child is big enough to transition into a big boy bed, you may want to keep his bed low. This is particularly important if your child likes to roll over in his sleep.
If that’s not possible, then get bed rails. They can stop him from falling to the ground. And for extra security, you may also want to put something soft under his bed or where he’s likely to fall. A really soft rug or a few blankets can provide a softer landing just in case he does fall.
Install safety gates
In case your child’s bedroom happens to be on the second floor, make sure you have a safety gate installed right at the top of your stairs. You will also need to install one at the bottom of the stairs.
Your child may start to wander around after getting out of bed. It can be dangerous if she’s not used to using the stairs by himself yet.
Safety gates don’t take a lot of time to install. You can have one installed in just a few minutes and without the need for very complex tools.
Now, before you install one, make sure to pick a baby gate that’s right for your child’s age and developmental limitations. Your baby’s height is a factor you should consider, too.
Conclusion
Children learn best through exploration so don’t let your fear of them getting hurt stop that from happening. You’ll never be able to stop them from getting hurt or the time or to protect them from all hazards that exist in his environment.
However, there are concrete steps you can take to minimize those obvious hazards from happening. You can start in his room and then move on to childproofing the rest of the house.
Most importantly, don’t leave your child alone for long hours. It’s unsafe and illegal in some states.
