Learning to walk is a major milestone in every child’s life—one which every parent looks forward to and regards with pride, but having a toddler around also means that you will need to have some extra safety measures around the house. Once your child starts to walk, their curiosity may become dangerous if certain precautions are not taken. Here are the five home safety measures that you may wish to consider to protect your child once they start walking:
Cover All Electrical Outlets
Most children who start to walk will inevitably notice the electrical outlets in the walls. Kids will often attempt to insert small objects or their own fingers into these outlets, resulting in anything from small jolts to electrocution and house fires. There are small, plastic childproof outlet covers which can be bought at most home supply stores and used to protect your child from electric shock.
Cover Edges on Furniture
While it is nice to see your child start to walk independently, keep in mind that they will fall down a lot. This means you may want to put rubber covers on the corners of your furniture and tables to prevent your child from injuring themselves as they stumble around the house.
Keep Medicine and Chemicals Out of Reach
While every medicine bottle has a childproof cap, you should still keep them out of the reach of your child. They may never be able to open the bottle if they get their hands on it, but that is not something you want to risk. The same exact thing should be done with any household cleaners or chemicals. The last thing you want to happen is for your child to ingest something toxic.
Safety Gates
If you house includes any flights of stairs, then you absolutely have to install safety gates. Any spot of the home that can be deemed unsafe for the child to enter should have a safety gate blocking their access. The safety gates will prevent them from entering somewhere they should not be while also eliminating the potential your child falls down a flight of steps.
Toilet Lid Locks
Childproof locks on toilets are a great idea for a variety of reasons. They eliminate any chance of your child being able to lift the toilet lid by themselves and being exposed to harmful bacteria. Many plumbers recommend that parents install a swing-shut lock on their toilets, as these are easier to use and more secure than regular clamping locks. A toilet lock will also serve to discourage your child from playing around the toilet, which could lead to them flushing valuables, electronics, and other items, saving you from damage to your plumbing or your wallet.
Children are naturally curious, and this curiosity only expands when they become able to walk. If you take these five safety measures, then you will have nothing to worry about and you can enjoy this exciting transitional period in your child’s life with peace of mind.
Informational credit for this article goes to San Francisco plumber, Jean Merrill.
