Toddlers on the Run

Ok.  You’ve baby proofed Cedar Lake, Crown Point, or Chesterton home. You’ve addressed sharp cornered furniture, choking hazards, exposed electric outlets, and more in every room.  You’ve installed baby gates to restrict movement to off-limit areas of your home.  You’ve secured top heavy furniture like bookcases and TV strands to walls.  You’ve put safety latches on cabinets and drawers, and even on the stove door.

Now it’s time to look ahead to when your infant becomes a toddler. The first step a baby takes as it works toward walking is to stand, which means using furniture to help pull himself up.  This is where I remind you, if you haven’t already done so, to please, please, please secure all top-heavy furniture like bookcases, wide-screen televisions, TV stands, plant stands and the like to a nearby wall.

Soon to be toddlers can use the wall as well to help them stand.  Accordingly, secure curtain and blind cords that are strangle hazards up and out of reach of your little one.  If you’re remodeling a room and window coverings are in the budget, consider purchasing cordless products.

Window latches, especially 2^nd story and higher need to be safety locked.  Children are inquisitive by nature.  Once they learn to walk and can better maneuver about their environment it’s only a matter of time before they start testing doors and windows.  Avoid accidental falls by securing all home egresses.