So many items around your home are dangerous for toddlers, and I bet you don’t know about half of them!
In this post, I will show you the steps I took when toddler-proofing my home because it is our job to keep them safe!
I admit it, I am a little obsessed with making our home completely Toddler proof…
Since my son was born, I only consider the worst-case scenario, and I am sure I am not the only one! For instance, around 2000 deaths per year result from a home injury to a person 14 years or younger.
As he steamrolls throughout our home like a bull in a china shop, my eyes are scanning the environment for breakable items, things he can hit his head on, and things he can trip up or stand on (mostly his toys, by the way).
Even when he is sleeping, I am worried about him falling out of bed, sleeping walking out of a window, or accidentally strangling himself on a random bit of cord that he found somewhere! It is tiring…
While we cannot protect our children 100% of the time, especially for the rest of their lives, our job is to make the house safe and protect them as much as possible. In this post, I will run you through what I do to toddler-proof our home, primarily for their safety, but also because it costs too much to replace breakable items!
As I walk into each room of my home, I run a quick scan of the area to identify anything that we (my wife and I) may have inadvertently left out to be dangerous to our son. That is simply an ongoing process that I will probably never stop doing!
If you have never toddler-proofed your home, you will need to do this for each room, but what do you need to look out for?
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Luckily for you, I have put together a list of the common things I checked when I started to toddler-proof my home because, at first, it is difficult to notice things when you have been used to leaving items out since before you were a parent.
How To Toddler Proof Your Home
Electricity Sockets
Blank your electric sockets to stop objects from being inserted into them.
Phones, tablets, lights, your toothbrush, all of these items will need to be charged. Constantly. Sometimes, you may leave the charger plugged into the wall socket, especially when you are in a rush but not charging anything. This can pose a significant health risk to a toddler or a young child, especially one who likes putting objects into their mouth!
Kids and knives do not match well! Always store knives away from the reach of a toddler.
It would be best to store knives and other sharp items (scissors etc.) away from your toddler’s reach. However, it is vital that they cannot reach knives if you want a toddler-proof home!
I have already discussed what you can do to make your kitchen safe for toddlers, but we look at knives here.
Store knives and sharp objects too high for your toddler to reach.
Sharp objects include knives, scissors, meat skewers, peelers, meat thermometers, etc. Take some time to go through each drawer that your toddler can reach and move everything sharp up high.
If your toddler runs headfirst into the corner of a table, it can cause some serious damage!
When I enter a room, I begin by scanning it for potential dangers. I even do it in other people’s homes, whether they have kids!
One of the most easily missed dangers is sharp edges on furniture. You know toddlers are not very steady on their feet, and they have absolutely no spatial awareness! So it would be best to prepare for it by protecting each corner to ensure that any bumps are not as bad as possible.
I must mention that I know toddlers need to go through the bumps to enhance their environmental awareness. The goal here is to minimize the damage of a toddler running full sprint into the corner of a table.
Always ensure that you can lock your windows to keep your home Toddler proof.
You must have the ability to lock your windows. Not only for security but also for curious toddlers who love to open and close anything they can find. More than 4000 children are injured by falling out of a window each year.
Take some time to consider this: Your toddler begins to sleepwalk, which brings with it a whole world of potential hazards! During their sleepwalking episode, they open a window and fall out. You are asleep,
I know that is extremely unlikely to happen, but why not prepare for that anyway? Why not implement a lock on each window of your home? This will stop your toddler from opening the window during the day, but it will also prevent them from opening it at night.
Also, having the ability to lock your windows will help stop the bad guys from getting in!
While we are on the subject of windows, you may also want to cover your windows and glass doors with shatterproof film because toddlers can run pretty fast, and their heads are tougher than they look.
Doors
If you want a toddler-proof home, ensure that you can lock your external doors with high locks.
This is similar to locking your windows and carries almost as much risk to your toddler (it will not hurt as much if they fall through a door).
Any entrance to your home must be secure, and your toddler must not be able to open them without you being present. There is no point in having a toddler-proof home if they can escape!
I mentioned above the dangers of toddlers sleepwalking, and if they manage to get to an external door that is easy to open, they could find themselves outside in the middle of the night. Surely I do not have to explain how dangerous that can be, especially if you live near a road!
You must be confident that your toddler cannot open an external door.
Secure each entrance with a hard-to-reach lock and sleep soundly!
Hot Water Faucet
Hot water can scald a child and result in permanent disfigurement.
Your toddler will be scalded with hot water if the temperature is high enough. We know how it feels for those of us who have picked up a hot plate without realizing it!
Again, I know that it is essential to realize that kids sometimes need to learn the hard way, but I would prefer it if they did not hurt themselves!
Stairs
To stop your toddler from falling down the stairs, add a stair gate to the bottom and top.
As soon as your little one begins to crawl, it would be best if you were arming each flight of stairs with a stair gate. It is common sense!
When deciding how many stair gates I needed, I considered all possibilities. What if my son went sleepwalking in the night? Would I be happy if he left his bedroom? If he did, is there a room that I prefer for him not to go to? Are there any rooms in the house that I do not want him to go into, even if he is awake?
I opted for 3 stair gates. One for the bottom of the stairs, one for the top, and one for his bedroom. That may be overkill, but hey, I am all about safety!
Glass Objects
Always ensure you clear away glass objects, so they cannot be smashed or used as missiles!
When I enter a friend’s home, I stalk the living room to see what is easily breakable. The most common items are made of glass, especially if they do not have any children.
Have a look throughout your home for any glass objects that your toddler can reach up and grab. If there are any objects, you can bet your bottom dollar they will break them within weeks!
A toddler-proof home must not have objects that can be used as missiles!
Batteries
Any battery can cause serious health concerns when swallowed, especially button batteries.
It is extremely important that you do not let children play with batteries or any devices where batteries are easily accessible.
If your toddler swallows a battery, they could end up with severe burns in their throat or stomach, or even worse, they could die from their injuries.
I always store batteries on a top-shelf. Sure, I get complaints when my wife cannot reach them, but it is better to be safe than sorry, right?
Blind Cords
To keep a Toddler safe from strangulation, always use the safety catch for blinds.
This is not simply cords that are attached to blinds. Many household items have a cord attached to them, which could cause an accident where your toddler is strangled. It doesn’t bear thinking about it!
Most blinds already have a safety item that must be installed with the cord to ensure that it will not strangle anybody. Use it. Always install it.
Take some time to check through your home to identify any loose cords that your toddler can reach, secure, or remove.
Fairy Lights
Cheap fairy lights have been known to cause fires, switching them off at bedtime.
Fairly lights are pretty, and my wife has a mild obsession with them, but they can be dangerous if they are not secured or stored correctly.
Your toddler will be attracted to the pretty lights for a start and may decide to wrap them around their neck. See above. I do not need to tell you how dangerous that can be.
I always ensure every fairy light is switched off before retiring to bed! It is worse around the Christmas period when it can take some time to go through them all!
Picture Frames Falling
Falling photo frames can hurt if they fall on your Toddlers head.
This one is unlikely to happen. However, it is something that I thought about some time ago. It is a potential hazard and something that you should prepare for, just in case.
I first noticed this when my wife decided to create a photo wall. Exactly 2 hours after the decision, she had put up over 20 photographs on the wall, all inside photo frames. It looked good then, and it looks better now that we have added more as time has progressed.
A few days after the initial setup, my son played underneath the photo wall and bashed into it, as these boisterous male toddlers do, right? Immediately after the impact, the wall shook, and I thought some of the frames would tumble down onto my son’s head. They didn’t, but they could have!
When placing photo frames on the wall, always ensure that you put the frames up correctly. Secure them to the wall. My wife used 1 nail for each frame, which was not enough. I secured the frames by adding 2 screws into the wall.
When you want to toddler-proof your house, it is these little things that you need to notice, along with the big things that everyone knows about!
Sharp Objects
Sharp objects can hurt if your toddler falls over with one in your hand.
Pens, pencils, needles, sharp objects are commonplace in most homes, but only when you have a toddler to control that you realize how dangerous these objects can be!
Take a look around your home and note all the sharp items that your toddler can reach. Imagine your toddler picking it up and running down a hall, still not very steady on their feet. Does your stomach turn? Mine does just thinking about it.
Remove all sharp objects and place them high enough so they cannot be reached by Toddler’s hands.
As I look around now, I can see sharp pencils and pens and a fork that somehow made it out of the cutlery drawer.
Cleaning Equipment
Always ensure that you store cleaning equipment out of reach!
If you want to toddler-proof your home, somewhere near the top of the list should be moving all cleaning equipment, especially the Bleach! Each year, 25,000 Children attended the hospital after ingesting poison.
I moved everything to a storage unit at head height (that’s my head, not my son’s). I do not want him to reach them, and now he cannot.
Alcohol
Hide your alcohol! Because it would be such a waste if someone else drank it!
It is second only to cleaning equipment. There is also another liquid that you do not want your toddler drinking. It will primarily make them poorly because you do not want them to drink YOUR alcohol.
Store alcoholic beverages well away from your toddler’s reach. Again, I suggest moving them high enough so they cannot reach them.
Bed Falls
Ensure that you protect your toddler from falling out of bed with a bed guard.
Bed falls are widespread with toddlers because they DO NOT stop moving when they are asleep. You would have thought they would have burnt all of their energy running around all day, right?
A bed guard is an important tool in your quest for toddler proofing your home.
They are easy to install and easy to use. You can be sure that your toddler will not fall out with a bed guard. Plus, it means you get more quality sleep because it is one thing that you do not have to worry about!
Conclusion
Toddler proofing your home is either something that you learn over time, or it is something that you take advice on. In this post, I have run through the common ways of ensuring your house is toddler-proof and much safer than an average house for your toddler to play in.
When we visit friends, I usually have one pass through each of the rooms my son is likely to play in, removing various objects that he will hurt himself on. It is even more of a challenge when we visit friends who do not have children!
