We spend a lot of time baby proofing our homes, but there are a few important things — specific to toddlers, that should not be over looked. Here are 4 things you should put some thought into for the safety of that tiny tot you love so much!
Long Curtains and Draperies
Pooling curtains are great. They can really dress up a room and make a huge impact, but they can also be a hazard to a toddler if they were to grab a hold of them. Face it, window hardware wasn’t meant to have 20 or so extra pounds hanging on for a ride.
This is an easy fix. Temporarily take the drapes and long curtains down and opt for valance style curtains, at least in the interim. Valances are too high for a kiddo to reach and you will only be sacrificing a small part of your home’s decor. And remember, it’s only temporarily. Who knows? You may end up loving the new look and keeping them that way.
Vertical and Horizontal Blinds
Just like long draperies, toddlers can easily get a hold of blinds and pull them down. If they are mini-blinds there’s the added risk that a child can be strangled or severely injured by all of the the cords and entangled there.
Vertical blinds may be less of a strangulation hazard, but they’re hardware is heavy and can fall causing all sorts of damage and injuries.
Remove your blinds (when possible), or at least raise them high where they are completely out of the little one’s reach. Short-term solutions are short curtains that fit inside the window frames on light-weight tension rods. You can create a great look with these paired with a nice valance.
Tall Dressers
Tall-boy dressers are awesome because they take up so much less space than their long and low counterparts, but unfortunately tall dressers are a big safety concern. Small children will pull out the bottom drawer(s) and stand in or on them creating the potential for serious harm. Dressers can easily tip forward and crush a small child.
Also, never entice them by putting items of interest on top of any tall furniture, at least not that they can see or are aware of.
Low Windows
The hot summer months are here and of course we want to open our windows to let the fresh air in, but if you have low windows, don’t you think for a moment that those flimsy screens are a barrier between your child and however many feet lie below. Toddlers can easily pop out a screen and fall out of a low window.
Placing a larger piece of furniture in front of a low window can be a quick fix. Just be sure it is a piece they cannot climb on top of.
Toddlers take special consideration. They don’t call them “Rug Rats” and “Curtain Climbers” for nothing! Once those little ones become mobile they will grab onto anything they can get they’re chubby little hands onto. Keeping them safe doesn’t have to mean grand deployments of tasteless or tacky contraptions–just a few creative solutions.
I’m a 20-something stay-at-home mother and wife. I have an amazing husband, a beautiful daughter, two loving dogs, and a lazy cat. I wouldn’t change my life for anything! I love to read, listen to music, cook and blog!
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