Face it; toddlers are a lot smarter than we give them credit for. You might think that you’ve toddler-proofed your house, but there is always something that slips by.
If you want to child proof your home, you’re going to have to think like a toddler and get down to his or her level. If that means getting down on all fours to get a serious “toddler’s-eye view”, then do so. There are many dangers to toddlers that we take for granted as being safe and don’t think of anymore. Reach back into your frazzled memory to think like a child.
Toddlers learn fast. Just because they were incapable of climbing on a chair yesterday, don’t think that they haven’t figured the task out today. A toddler will eventually learn how to drag a kitchen chair across the floor to reach the sink or learn how to unlatch that child-proof lock you have on the cabinet.
Once the toddler learns how to do one thing, your child is smart enough to put two and two together to realize the potential. By dragging the chair to the sink, toddlers figure out they can drag the chair elsewhere too, with similar results – they can get into more fun stuff. Never, ever, underestimate your toddler.
Another problem comes when you have older children in the house. Teens are notorious for not picking up after themselves. It’s all too easy for the teen to leave clothing, books, makeup, and items of sentimental value lying around. Sparks fly when the toddler finds these things and claims them as being, “MINE!”. Try explaining to a two year-old that the lipstick they just found isn’t candy or face paint and that they can’t have it. The baby only knows that the object is pretty and possession is nine-tenths of the law. Toddlers understand the concept of “mine” well enough, but they haven’t figured out that everyone has a “mine”.
Of course, the consequences of not picking up is a hard lesson for the teen to learn, distracted as they are while shouting at the baby to give up the treasure. The general rule of thumb to tell teens is that if they don’t want something torn apart, dropped, broken, chewed on, swallowed, or lost, put the item away, out of sight, or far enough out of the reach of tiny, curious hands.
A middle ground might be one where the teen puts all valuables far out of reach or in drawers, and then reserve a lower shelf or special toy chest for when the baby wanders into the room. Items that are safe for the baby to handle and play with can be put in these places and make the younger child feel as important as their older sibling. After all, the baby just wants to do what big sis or brother is doing or to have some attention, right?
A toddler requires constant supervision no matter how careful you are. Child proofing your home is one small step to keeping your toddler safe, and you will constantly have to be on top of things to keep your child out of trouble. What worked yesterday as a deterrent might be useless tomorrow, and you’ll need a new tactic. Be aware and observant, because accidents happen faster than you think.
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