What to Expect the Toddler Years (221 page)

Electrical cords.
Move them behind furniture so that your child will be less tempted to mouth or chew on them (risking electric shock) or tug at them (pulling lamps or other heavy items down). If necessary, fasten the cords to wall or floor with electrical tape or specially designed gadgets. (Do not use nails or staples and do not run cords under carpets, where they can overheat.) Never leave an appliance cord (for a coffeemaker, for example) plugged into an outlet when the cord itself is disconnected from the appliance—this is a major shock risk.

Electrical outlets.
Cover outlets with caps or with shields (which cover both the outlet and the plug inserted into it) or place heavy furniture in front of them to prevent your child from inserting an object (such as a hairpin or screwdriver) or probing its mysteries with a drooly finger. To reduce the risk of shock, have regular outlets grounded by an electrician, if possible. If you use multiple-outlet power strips, look for ones that are child-safe or ones with child-proof cases.

Lighting.
To prevent nighttime falls, be certain that stairways are well lighted; use night-lights in hallways, bathrooms, and bedrooms, as needed (but remove them by day, if they are within your toddler’s reach).

Lamps and light fixtures.
Don’t place a lamp where a toddler could touch a hot bulb, and don’t leave a lamp or other light fixture without a bulb within your toddler’s reach—probing an empty socket might be irresistible to your child, but it is very unsafe. Halogen bulbs give off more heat, so they pose a greater fire risk and should never be used in a child’s bedroom or playroom.

Unstable furnishings.
Put rickety or unstable chairs, tables, or other furniture that might topple if leaned on or pulled up on out of the way until your toddler is sure-footed enough not to need furniture for support; securely fasten to the wall bookcases or other wall units that a child might possibly pull down.

Dresser drawers.
Keep them closed so your child will be less likely to climb into them, possibly upending an unstable dresser; if a dresser isn’t stable enough, consider bolting it to the wall.

Painted surfaces.
Be sure they are lead-free; many homes built before 1960 still harbor paint with high lead concentrations beneath layers of newer applications. As paint cracks or flakes, microscopic lead-containing particles are shed. These can end up in household dust (and outdoor soil) and on a child’s hands, toys, clothing—and eventually, of course, in the mouth. Check with your local EPA for information on testing services. If testing shows lead in the paint in your home, discuss with the EPA the benefits of having the lead removed as opposed to painting or papering over it. Removal of lead paint should not be carried out when the family, especially children or pregnant women, is at home. Hand-washing, particularly before meals and snacks, is vitally important in homes where lead dust may be a problem.

Lead isn’t the only problem with paint. Paints produced prior to August 1991 may contain mercury, which can be toxic when the fumes are inhaled. If you plan to use some old paint and you aren’t sure whether it is mercury-free, contact the National Pesticide Information Center: (800) 858-7378, or log on to npic.orst.edu. Children and pregnant women should not inhale mercury paints while they are being applied or for 48 hours afterward, at which point most of the fumes have dissipated and much of the danger has passed.

Ash trays.
Put them out of reach so your toddler can’t get hold of a hot butt or sample a mouthful of ashes and butts; better still, banish tobacco from your home entirely (see page 630).

Fireplaces, heaters, stoves, floor furnaces, and radiators.
Put up protective grills, covers, or other barriers to keep small fingers from fire and hot surfaces (even the grill on a floor furnace can get hot enough to cause second-degree burns). And remember, most of these surfaces retain heat long after the heat has been turned off or the fire has died down.

House plants.
Keep them out of reach, where your child can’t pull them down or sample the leaves or dirt; be especially wary of poisonous plants (see page 658). If you have some favorite plants that are poisonous but which you can’t put out of reach, consider asking a neighbor or relative to look after them for you until your toddler can be relied upon not to nibble on the leaves.

Loose knobs on furniture or cabinets.
Remove or secure any that are small enough to be swallowed or cause choking or get stuck in your toddler’s mouth.

Stairs.
Put gates at the top of any staircase you want to keep your toddler from going down and three steps up from the bottom of any staircase you want to keep your toddler from going up (or move a single gate around, depending on your toddler’s whereabouts). But never let a gate substitute for adult supervision. Keep steps clear of toys, clothing, and anything else that could trip up a toddler (or anyone else). Carpeting on the stairs may improve footing and help minimize injury in case a fall does occur. A plush, well-padded carpet or a thick nonskid area rug at the foot of each staircase should also cut down on bumps and bruises.

Banisters, railings, and balconies.
Be sure that balusters (the upright posts) aren’t loose and that the distance between them on stairs or balconies is less than 5 inches, so a toddler can’t get stuck or slide through (a 4-inch gap is safer for infants). If the gap is wider, consider a temporary safety “wall” (usually available at stores that sell child safety equipment) of plastic or firm mesh along the length of a balcony. Install railings on both sides of a staircase, if possible; the rail on at least one side should be low enough for your toddler to reach.

Cushions on the sharp edges of furniture help prevent bumps and bruises; caps on electrical outlets prevent shocks.

Tablecloths.
When your toddler is around, use placemats, short cloths with little or no overhang, or longer cloths held securely in place (with clasps designed to keep outdoor cloths on in windy weather, for instance). If you do use an unsecured tablecloth, limit its use to when your toddler is asleep or very carefully supervised.

Glass-topped tables.
Either cover a glass top with a heavy table pad or put such tables temporarily out of reach (with some coffee tables, you can remove the glass and replace it with a safer material for the time being).
Never
allow your toddler to stand on a table, even if it’s not glass-topped.

Sharp edges or corners.
If your child could possibly bump into edges on tables, chests, and so on, cover them with homemade or store-bought cushioned strips and corner guards (see above illustration).

Heavy knickknacks and bookends.
Place them where your child can’t pull them over. Never underestimate the strength or ingenuity of a toddler!

Scatter rugs.
Be sure they have nonskid backings, and don’t place them at the top of stairs or allow them to remain rumpled. Rubber matting or two-sided adhesive tape under small rugs and runners helps make them slip-resistant.

DVD players.
Place DVD players out of your toddler’s reach or install a DVD player guard to keep little fingers (or other objects) out.

Toy chests.
In general, open shelves and bins are safer for toy storage. But if you still prefer to use a chest, look for one that has a lightweight lift-off lid or a safe hinged lid—one that doesn’t snap closed automatically when released. The hinge should allow the lid to remain open at any angle to which it is lifted. If you have an old toy chest that doesn’t meet these requirements, remove the lid or the hinges permanently. There should also be air holes in the body of the box (drill a couple on each side, if there aren’t) just in case a toddler climbs in and becomes trapped. Like all furniture children spend a lot of time around, a toy chest should have rounded corners or corner padding.

Your toddler’s crib.
Adjust the mattress to its lowest position and remove bulky toys, pillows, bumper pads, and anything else that could be used as a stepping-stone to freedom—and possible disaster. To soften a fall should your toddler get out in spite of your precautions, place a plush rug, an exercise mat, or a couple of cushions next to the crib. Also be sure not to string any toys (such as a crib gym) across the top of the crib—a child could strangle in it. When your toddler is 35 inches tall, it’s time for a bed (see page 318).

Your toddler’s bed.
Install safety rails on the bed and place the bed at least 2 feet from windows, heating vents, radiators, wall lamps, or drapery or venetian blind cords. Also, never buy a bunk bed for a toddler or allow one to sleep in the upper bunk of someone else’s bunk bed.

Floors.
To minimize falls: Try to keep clutter out of traffic lanes, wipe up spills and pick up papers immediately, and be sure to repair loose or damaged floor tiles and carpeting promptly.

Wastebaskets.
Never put anything you don’t want your toddler to handle in an open wastebasket. Put potentially hazardous trash in an inaccessible container (see page 642).

Standing water.
Whether in a pail, bucket (especially a 5-gallon or larger bucket), a diaper pail, an ice chest (in which the ice has melted, for example), or in the more obvious places—tubs, toilets, and home spas—even small amounts of water pose a serious drowning risk to a toddler.

Lightning.
Since plumbing and phone wires can conduct electricity should lightning strike your home, don’t allow family members to shower or bathe (or play in a pool; see page 648) or use the phone during a thunderstorm or the threat of one, unless you know that the building is equipped with a lightning rod.

Exercise equipment.
It’s great for you, but it could be dangerous for your toddler. Don’t let your toddler near bikes, ski machines, rowing machines, treadmills, step-machines, weights, and weight machines unless under very close supervision. Even then, it could be risky since toddlers move so fast. If you’re buying a new bike, and if you can afford these features, get one with spokeless wheels, an enclosed chain-and-sprocket apparatus, and wheel and pedal locks for when it’s not in use. If you exercise with a jump rope, always store it out of reach of your toddler, preferably in a locked cabinet.

Garage, basement, greenhouse, workshop, and hobby areas.
Since these areas usually contain a variety of hazardous implements and/or poisonous substances, keep them securely locked and do not allow children unsupervised access.

Other “sensitive” areas.
Put any room that houses breakable objects—such as a dining room with a collection of fine teacups—off limits to children (set up a gate or another barrier).

Hazardous objects.
Be alert to the whereabouts of a host of potentially hazardous items typically found at home. If you don’t need these things, don’t keep them in your home at all. If you do, see that they are safely stored—in drawers, cabinets, chests, or closets with childproof latches, on absolutely out-of-reach shelves (you’d be amazed at how high some toddlers can manage to climb), or behind closed doors your toddler can’t open. When you’re using such items, be sure your child can’t get at them when you turn your back, and always put them away as soon as you’ve finished with them (or as soon as you discover that one has been left out). Particularly hazardous are: