Protect toddlers from suffocation, choking, and poisoning by taking responsible precautions
Raising a toddler can be one of the most challenging accomplishments that any parent or caregiver ever achieves. It doesn’t help that toddlers can be curious to the point of accidentally hurting themselves, often exploring, touching, and climbing on anything and everything within reach. In addition, toddlers will often put things in their mouth, which can certainly add to your stress when trying to re-design your home to protect them.
To make sure that unfortunate accidents don’t occur, it’s essential to take smart precautions to be certain that your toddler doesn’t accidently do something that could require medical attention, hospitalization, or worse. For example, it’s important to keep things that could cause injury, damage, choking or poisoning out of reach from toddlers– as well as taking a host of other measures to prevent accidental injury. Here’s how to start.
Bathroom
Razors and scissors may be some of the biggest bathroom threats to toddlers, however, cosmetics, vitamins, and medicines are also risky– as they could cause poisoning or allergic reactions. Therefore, these should be kept in a locked drawer, and parents should make sure caps and tops are secure at all times. Parents should also consider putting a latch on the toilet seat and keep it closed, as children can drown in just a few inches of water. In addition, tiny products like cotton balls, and swabs may present a choking risk to children, so these should also be properly secured.
Kitchen
Sharp cutting knives may be one of the biggest threats to your toddler in the kitchen, however, dull appliances and tools can still pose a significant risk, so you’ll want to lock these away and/or store them far out of reach of toddlers. In addition, plastic bags may pose a risk of suffocation to children, so they should also be securely locked away. Machinery with moving blades should also be stored correctly and watched closely if left out.
Much like cotton swabs in bathrooms, smaller refrigerator magnets can pose a choking hazard, so you may want to place these out of reach, or better yet avoid them altogether, as the magnets can easily fall from the fridge onto the floor. Additionally, ovens can easily burn your child, so you’ll definitely want to close them, and if possible, purchase an oven lock for additional safety. Plus, if you often cook on your stove, always watch children carefully to make sure they don’t get too close.
Finally, it’s important to make sure that potentially toxic cleaning supplies are safely locked away; each year, poison control centers around the country receive thousands of calls from parents or caregivers of toddlers who’ve consumed soap, bleach, or other dangerous chemicals, sometimes with tragic consequences.
Living Room
While your living room may seem like a benign place for your toddler it still contains countless risks for young children. Sofas, recliners, ottomans, and other pieces of furniture often collect coins, food, pens, wrappers, and other trash that, while out of sight, can still pose a serious choking threat to toddlers. Additionally, coffee table decor, like artificial fruit, might look tasty to your toddler, so it’s a good idea to switch these decorations out for something safer, at least until your child is a little older.
Toddlers can also knock down unsecured shelves or bookcases simply by climbing onto them, so it’s a good idea to secure these to floors or walls. While they might seem innocuous, window blinds can cause strangulation in some circumstances, so you may want to cut these or tie them up to ensure they are out of reach of children. In addition, electrical outlets may pose a risk of electrocution to toddlers, so you’ll want to cover these up with snugly-fitting plastic covers or plugs. Finally, if your home has a fireplace, this should also be covered to prevent your toddler crawling inside and getting themselves in trouble.
Do research to protect your toddler from a variety of threats
This article only scrapes the surface of the risks a toddler can encounter in your home– and while you should do your own research to make sure your home is properly modified to protect your child, the best thing you can do to ensure your child’s safety is to be certain they’re being closely watched as much as possible. Raising a toddler can certainly be tough, but with the right precautions, you can rest easy knowing that you’ve done everything in your power to keep your precious child safe.
To learn more tips about how to protect yourself and your family in an ever-changing world, contact Avante Insurance today for a free consultation.