KidsParenting

How to Make Your Home Safe For Your Wandering Toddler

You’ve worked hard to provide your family with a safe and stable home. And now your child is toddling around the house, ready to explore and learn. It’s a beautiful time for your family and when you may notice your toddler discussing and testing the waters — sometimes with you, sometimes without.

How to Make Your Home Safe For Your Wandering Toddler

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That’s natural and normal. But it also means that you may need to adapt your approach to parenting a little bit to keep your toddler safe.

In this article, we’ll talk about making your home a safe environment for your toddler. We’ll also discuss common hazards, spot them in your home, and what to do about them.

Make sure you know where your child is at all times

This might seem like a no-brainer, but you’d be surprised how many parents don’t keep track of their child’s whereabouts. You should know where your child is at all times and what they are up to.

This includes knowing what your child is doing, where, and for how long. Any time your child is out of your eyesight, make sure you can at least hear them. You should readily call out to them and keep a conversation going so that your mind can be at peace and you don’t have to worry about your child being too quiet and up to no good. It will be an excellent investment if you are willing to put money into having baby cameras or monitors around the house to be up to date on your child’s whereabouts and doings.

Remove tempting items from your home

Toddlers are curious and determined. They’ll often try to find out how things work, why things are the way they are, and what they can do. This can make your home an exciting place for your toddler to explore and a dangerous one.

Take away the opportunities for your child to cause damage by removing items that can be dangerous. This includes eliminating sharp or heavy objects and breakable items from where they can easily access them.

Other things can be messy, even if they aren’t harmful to your child. It’s imperative to childproof all your cabinets and drawers, especially those in the kitchen, lest your child spills a bowl of grapes or gets into a bag of beans, or worst of all, somehow figure out how to unscrew the lid to the cooking oil.

Teach your child about hazards in the home and how to stay safe

Learning how to stay safe in your home takes practice. You can’t just make your home childproof and wait for your toddler to master the skills. You have to teach them through repetition and role-playing.

Start by talking to your kids about the hazards in your home. Explain to your child why things are dangerous and why they shouldn’t touch or play with them. For example, though you can put covers on outlets, most are lower to the ground and can be easily pulled off by a toddler who has just learned how to walk. Teach your children why they shouldn’t go around removing the covers.

Start by teaching your children to avoid the most dangerous and lethal objects, and then once they have learned to stay away from those, move on to teaching them the dangers of other less harmful items. Be sure to keep up the practice and keep reminding them about the risks of these things once in a while so that they don’t forget and find themselves in trouble.

Plan and practice safe habits

Most accidents happen when parents aren’t around, so you have to ensure you’re there to catch your child if they’re not safe. That’s why it’s essential to plan and practice safe habits in advance.

Practice your child’s safety routine at home before you’re out and about. This can help you stay calm and focused if an accident happens in public. It can also help prevent accidents from happening in the first place.

If an accident does occur, it’s vital to be prepared. Have a stocked-up first aid kit for your toddler’s scrapes and injuries at home and in public. An excellent first aid kit includes different bandages and dressings, from the basic strip and butterfly bandages to adhesive wraps, roller gauze, and plastic wrap. Products like KT tape knee support help wrap up the parts of your body where you may be experiencing sprains or muscle injuries.

In addition to all these protective wraps, you should also have disinfectants like hydrogen peroxide and antibiotic ointment, antiseptic solutions, and wipes. If unsure, you can buy fully stocked ones from Amazon, or your local retailers and big box stores.

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Jess Benoit

Jess is a homeschooling mama of 3, wife, gamer, Whovian, Nerd

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