The first year a baby is in your home is the most precious of times. Even though it can be a trying time as well because it turns your life upside down in many ways, but they are always worth it. Those middle of the night feedings and diaper changes are sweet in spite of the sleep you lose over them. Before you know it the little baby is gone and replaced by the toddler who is a never ending ball of energy with legs that get around faster than you might be ale to keep up with. Even though you might have spent months baby proofing everything you could think of, there are bound to be things that you overlooked and never gave a thought to.
You probably thought to put catches on the lower cabinet doors and move any poisonous cleaners and sharp objects to higher ground. You likely put outlet covers over the electrical plug ins to keep busy little fingers from sticking things into them. If you were smart, you put your cherished belongings up out of reach as well because your grandma's lovely figurine that always graced your coffee table would likely have been the first thing those little hands would break.
There are other things that might have slipped by your attention like space heaters. If you use those in the winter time, it would be very easy for a running toddler to knock on over, run into it and get burned or even leave a stuffed animal close enough to start a fire. Using safer products like a quartz infrared heater would be the wise thing to do because they never get hot on the outside and will not catch fire if they are turned over. If you use box fans in your windows when it is warm outside, you might have to come up with a different solution like installing ceiling fans to keep little fingers on the hands they belong on.
These are the kinds of things parents will have to discover as they go along. There are a million and one things toddlers will always find that they can get into that might cause them harm. You have to have the eyes of an eagle and allow yourself to see everything with the same curious eyes that they have. If it looks interesting to them, they will want to investigate what it is and what it does.
Accidents happen with toddlers all of the time because a parent over looked a source of danger. It can be avoided if you keep your toddler confined to certain areas of the home when you are not able to observe them closely. Baby gates and playpens can be life savers when parents are busy around the house. When your toddler is on the loose in the home, the safest thing you can do is to put everything else aside and dedicate your full attention to what they are doing and where they are going!
Michael Affleck is a writer and you can visit their websites at shop a lu and home heaters.
