Let’s use the term ‘walking’ very loosely. By that we actually mean running, climbing and jumping, artfully making use of the house, as the jungle gym you never imagined it to be. You were so keen for them to take their first steps and now, the toddler you can hear crashing about has brought with them a whole host of new potential ailments for you to stress about. Expect bumps and bruises because until they learn how to harness their new-found battery pack of energy (their legs), scrapes and tumbles are bound to happen. Here are a few home safety things you need to take care of preferably before they get mobile or ASAP if they’re already on the loose.
The kitchen
The most hazardous of all the rooms, make sure it’s baby-gated on all entrances. Next step: put safety latches on all of the lower kitchen cupboards. A lot more doors for little fingers to get trapped in than you thought, aren’t there? Don’t forget the oven! Keep in mind that toddlers, though small, can reach things on the counter; kitchen appliances, glass jars — anything is fair game to a curious kid, so make sure it’s out of reach.
The living room
Ah, the climbing room filled with objects of all shapes and sizes that are just asking to be scaled. Make sure everything that has the potential to fall over is attached to the wall, even the TV isn’t off-limits. Wires are another trip-hazard and a toddler is a good excuse for your partner to finally get round to sorting out the entangled web of the wires that has been driving you nuts for months.
The bathroom
Filled with wonderful lotions and potions that, until now, could be dotted about the place for easy access. Clear everything in toddler arm’s reach away. Your home will never have been less cluttered than when you have a toddler. Wait, no, that’s a lie. Your clutter has just been replaced by baby-friendly toy clutter. Make sure the floor is fully dry after you’ve hopped out of the shower. The same goes for when you’re washing the little monster. Also, keep the toilet lid down to save it slamming down on little fingers. Seems an odd, uninteresting place to explore but, then again, never underestimate a toddler.
The bedroom
Make sure the cot is fully up. Climbing onto the cot and jumping off of it isn’t advised, but when has a toddler taken your advice seriously? Make it clear the cot is out of access until sleep time, unless they want to sleep now? And that’ll be met with a resounding ‘no’! Watch out for toys too. Yes, they’re your kid’s toys, and yes, they threw them everywhere but leave them out any longer and your toddler will not be the only one tripping up.
