safety baby proof your space

Do as baby does to determine what needs safety attention

It is so tragic when we hear of small children who drown in very small amounts of WATER. NEVER leave a baby unattended around water. Never leave unattended standing water in sinks, tubs, pots, etc. A leading cause of death of young children is drowning. I will be making frequent reference to water safety related issues.

Use safety gates for gaping holes and steps or any unsafe areas. STAIRS need safety gates. Install one that you can open with one hand. And keep clutter off steps so no one trips and falls. Use caution if you use a baby walker. Many accidents occur when baby is allowed to roam freely—especially around stairs. We probably all have a stair safety story. I know of a baby (the baby was ok) who was in a baby walker and tumbled down a flight of stairs. It only takes a min. of your back turned for your mobile child to get into trouble.

How many POISONOUS items do you have in your household? Too many to count? Well, LOCK them all up!! Countless poisonings happen each year when a baby or toddler eat or drink bleach, toilet cleaners, windshield washer fluid, alcohol (rubbing or drinking), toiletries, nail polish remover. Or other dangerous liquids such as dishwashing detergent, shampoo, alcohol, etc. ---the list is endless. Lock cupboards and medicine. There are safety latches and baby proof locks that can easily be applied—usually with just a screw driver.

POST EMERGENCY NUMBERS! Have them close at hand. In an emergency it can be hard to remember seemingly straight forward things. Error in the direction of over caution and over preparedness. I have a friend whose child was choking on a small object. (this is not an ad for Sears!) Being frazzeled, she called Sears instead of 911 ! Precious moments wasted. (postscript: baby is fine).

Figure out a safe way to use a “bread board” that pulls out from inside a cabinet, because baby might push it in when reaching, leaning on, or pushing it and the aftermath is that the child could get burned from the hot pot that was resting there. Yep, I speak from experience in that example! My own parents were super cautious and yet, I, as a toddler, got burned with hot tea by leaning on the board. Hot pot fell on me-- burned baby, panic-ed parents. (baby survived)

The HANDLES OF COOKING POTS should be turned far in and on the back burners and if perchance your stove burner dials are on front, protect them from curious little hands that like to twiddle things by removing them or otherwise making them inaccessible.

Do more child-proofing by removing or keeping out of reach, all plastic bags, cleaning supplies, small objects, medicines, sewing objects, buttons, craft items, matches. Don’t forget to store wastebaskets out of reach.

If you own firearms, LOCK them up. Keep them in a gun safe. Overdo in the caution measures around firearms. Always store UNLOADED.

When transitioning baby from baby-tub to big tub, for safety use suction mats or put a towel or small hand towel under baby’s bottom to prevent slippage when baby tries to sit up. Bathtub FAUCETS can make a nasty gash when a toddler stands up with their back to it or lifts her head quickly and bashes into it. Ouch! You can get one of those tight fitting soft covers to protect your child. Water is an exciting, critical resource. It is also a tremendous safety hazard. Always treat it with respect. Don’t leave RAZORS in accessible areas in the bathroom or elsewhere. As your baby becomes mobile you should be able to UNLOCK bathroom doors(or other areas that lock) from the outside. Toddlers have been known to accidentally lock themselves in. Have a spare key or a way to unlock.

PET FEEDING stations should be moved well away and out of reach of a mobile toddler. There is enough water for a toddler to drown in, and small food pieces to choke on.

MOBILE BABY, rolling, crawling, scooting, cruising all mean your baby needs close supervision. The first roll can happen when you least expect it. Don’t let it be when your baby is close to the edge of a changing table or bed!

If you have a VEHICLE, toddlers are short and visibility behind a vehicle is not good. Always check behind before you back up and install visibility mirrors if your area is vulnerable. Farm equipment poses particular hazards and even when you think things are ok, check and double check. Another leading cause of death in children is car crashes. Always use a regulation safety seat for babies and toddlers in vehicles according to recommendations.

There are more vehicle safety tips and tricks here.

ANCHOR unstable furniture and book cases. Remove any heavy sharp objects from above where your child plays.

If you live high up, you have to be concerned about BALCONIES AND WINDOWS safety. Screens aren’t strong enough to keep an on- the-move toddler from crashing through. Lower down, outside decks need railings. And be sure to check the open space between the deck railings and the deck, and the spacing between the rails so that it isn't possible for a small child to get stuck between them. A crawling child is at rist in these prime open areas and can easily slip through and crash onto the rocks, boulders, water, cement, etc. below.

An overlooked area to safeguard with a mobile toddler is the BAR-B-Q area. There are fences that can be adapted to encolose the area.

Most people know to keep ELECTRICAL appliances away from water. A small child doesn’t know it. So keep electrical appliances such as hair dryers, space heaters, electrical toothbrushes, electric razors, radios and so on, locked up and well out of reach and away from sinks or tubs to avoid lethal consequences. Outlets, of course, need to be protected. They are frequently right at your toddler’s eye level and totally enticing—so make them totally inaccessible! There are spring loaded covers or the little covers that you can stick in for electrical outlet safety. Some children can figure out how to pick out the ones that stick in, so the springy ones might be a better choice.

Turn down the hot water heater to 120F.

Little fingers easily get places like in the cracks of doors. When the door gets accidentally closed, the fingers get crunched. CAR DOORS, HOUSE DOORS-—all carry the same threat. Always check before you slam a vehicle door closed. In house, use door stops or hooks to keep doors where you want them to be. Don’t allow door play. Here is an example. A baby was playing in her bedroom by the door. She put her fingers in the crack between the wall and door and then tried to push the door closed. She wasn’t old enough to make the connection between her pain and her actions. The more she pushed, the harder she cried until welcome rescue arrived. The hand was relieved by putting it in cool water and using arnica cream to help bruising.

When your toddler starts to toddle, if you have sharp corners in your house, pad them. Use a fastener that won’t harm furniture when you remove it---don’t use masking tape as later it is a mess to get off.

CRIBS. In most countries there are regulations in place that determine acceptable standards for spacing. A 2 3/8" space is ok. Although there may be an old crib kicking around in Gramma’s attic, don’t be tempted to use it (unless, of course, you update it and make it safe). It is probably safer not to use old cribs or other vintage baby furniture, tempting though it may be. You have one right there waiting, why not use it? Because it could be coated with lead paint. Or have slats that are too far apart. Also check the hardware used and the extension of it’s corner posts. Some old versions have decorative cut-outs which were/are big enough for a baby’s limb or head to get caught in. An unpleasant analogy is my baby birds. Some live in cages. I have come into their territory and found a baby bird stuck with its head out between the bars flapping wildly. Fortunately being close by, I could rescue it. It would be hard to think of anything more horrible than a baby stuck between the bars of its baby bed. The mattress should fit firmly in the frame. If you want water-proofing, get a cover that fits over the whole mattress. If it is new, don’t use the plastic wrap that comes around the mattress. Babies can and do die from plastic suffocation.

Check the garden and PLANT areas of your abode both inside and out. Many houseplants are toxic and a huge hazard to curious growing children.

Have I covered everything? I don’t think so. Young children are inventive, curious, active—and quick! What hasn’t been thought of, they are capable of thinking of and trying. The bottom line is VILIGANCE. Always be viligant with young children.