Tips for Making Your Toddler's Room Safe

As your baby grows into a curious toddler, they begin to explore their world in new ways. If they spend time alone in their room, it's important to recognize common danger zones so you can keep them safe. Here are some of the most vital areas of their room that could pose a hazard and ways to prevent injuries to your baby. 

Make Wise Choices About Their Bedding

As an infant, your baby is safest in a crib with a firm mattress and no bedding. When they reach 18 months old, you can begin making their bed more comfortable. This is the right age for a pillow and blanket to be included. Look for small toddler pillows and lightweight blankets, to begin with. As they move into a toddler bed and get in and out of it on their own, you can add additional bedding. 

Corral the Cords

Keeping the light out is a great way to ensure your child sleeps well. However, many window coverings use some type of cording to make it easy to open them, such as blinds. Most companies follow safety protocols that require these cords to be kept as two separate pieces. Unfortunately, these are easily tangled, which creates a loop that can get around your baby's neck. The best way to prevent this is to install coverings, such as drapes that don't have any dangling hazards. If you cannot replace your blinds, wrap up the cords and secure them with a rubber band or other safety device to prevent injury.  

Secure Dressers and Heavy Furniture

When toddlers get mobile, they love to climb. Soon, their entire room becomes a jungle gym. Dressers and bookshelves can tip easily and need to be secured. The easiest way to do this is by connecting them with brackets screwed into the studs in a wall. It's also smart to keep short furniture in their room to have less chance of injury if they fall. 

Lock Windows

Preventing your toddler from opening windows is vital if their room is on the second floor. Ensure all windows remain locked and additional child safety devices can be installed, such as lock covers. Window guards are a more permanent device that blocks anyone from coming in or out through them and prevents falls from high windows.

Cover Electrical Outlets

Curiosity is key with toddlers. They enjoy exploring and investigating everything in their surroundings. Since electrical outlets are in most rooms, these become an attraction to them. Protect your child by plugging these outlets with plastic covers. Outlet safety devices are easy to find in most stores or online and make it impossible for a small child to stick anything inside. These prevent electric shock injuries and fire hazards, and give you peace of mind. 

Making your toddler's room safe for them to play in means they have a place they can explore all they want. Keeping bedding light, securing furniture and cords, blocking electrical outlets and locking windows are a few necessary changes to ensure their safety.