As a parent to a little toddler, you’ll know all too well the fears that can arise surrounding their safety. Suddenly, every knife in the kitchen feels a lot more dangerous, and every wire poking out from underneath the utility cupboard door feels a lot more imposing.

When you have a very small child, every room in the house is filled with potential hazards, and every activity that would be deemed perfectly safe for a slightly older child needs to be heavily monitored by an adult.

Feeling a little overwhelmed when it comes to keeping your little one out of harm's way is perfectly normal, especially when they are at the particularly vulnerable stage of being a toddler! However, there’s no need to worry. We’re here to educate you on what you need to look out for when it comes to keeping them safe both in the home and outside, so you can put your mind at rest once and for all!

So, let’s go through all the potential hazards you may come across in different scenarios and some practical ways that you can deal with them.

How can I keep my toddler safe?

Home Safety

One of the biggest things to look out for when it comes to little children and home-related hazards is choking. To prevent this, do not let your child walk around while eating or with an object in their mouth.

Remember to protect any open windows with window guards or put barriers in front of them so that your little one can’t push them open.

Block any electrical outlets by putting furniture in front of them, or perhaps use outlet covers that aren’t choking hazards.

To prevent electrocution, install ground-fault circuit interrupters where appropriate.

Try to keep all electrical cords out of reach.

Always supervise your toddler when they are playing with any animals in the house. Even the friendliest of animals can be unpredictable!

Make sure that your home has working smoke detectors and carbon monoxide alarms.

Sleep Safety

As a doting parent to your little one, you’ll know that leaving them to fall asleep independently is hard enough as it is! However, there are some other things regarding sleep which will be important to consider. Namely, ensuring that they are safe while they’re asleep. To make sure that they are, consider the following points surrounding their bedtime:

Remember to keep the crib mattress at the lowest setting.

Remember to keep the crib free of any objects that your toddler could stack and climb on to get out.

If your toddler can climb out of their crib, move them to a lower bed.

Toy Safety

When it comes to managing your little one’s safety regarding toys, remember not to give them any toy that they could either potentially choke on, or that might have an electrical outlet. The issue with battery-powered toys is that they can be unpredictable when it comes to child-safety. Remember to make sure the battery case is secured at all times.

Water Safety

Out of all the potential household hazards to look out for, water is perhaps one of the most important to take note of. Never leave your toddler, for any length of time (long or short), near a body of water without an adult supervising. This includes a swimming pool, toilet, wading pool, bathtub, whirlpool, hot tub, lake or ocean.

Auto Safety

Before jumping in the car for even the shortest or most straightforward of car journeys with your toddler, it’s important that you are aware of how to avoid any potential hazards or accidents. For good measure, consider these points:

All children at the toddler age should ride rear-facing in their car safety seat installed in the backseat with a five-point harness.

Don’t ever leave your toddler alone in the car, even if it happens to be locked and in the driveway.

Don’t ever let your toddler climb out of the car safety seat while the car is still moving.
Also, consider engaging the rear door child safety lock.

Outdoor Safety

Although you have control over the majority of hazards your child may be exposed to within the four walls of your house, things can be a different matter when they venture outside. Consider the following points to ensure your little one is as safe outside your humble abode as they are in.

Install door locks, barriers, and alarms to prevent them from accessing streets, pools, driveways, etc, without your knowledge.

Put up barriers or fences to ensure your child stays within their outside play area and away from neighbouring streets.

Make sure to pay proper attention anytime you are backing your car out of the garage or down the driveway.

Keep your car locked when it’s not in use. This way your child can’t get in and accidentally set the car into motion.

Overall, it’s crucial to ensure that you know where your child is at all times when playing outside, even if this means getting another adult or trusted older sibling to watch over them.

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