Keeping your little one safe from harm is an important aspect of parenting. Once your child reaches the toddler stage, they will likely be far more mobile, having gained the ability to walk and run. This means that you need to consider some alterations to their bedroom, to prevent accidents or injuries from occurring.
When thinking about changes to make, it may help to get down to their level, to see what hazards could potentially be in reach, or even at eye level. This way, you can adjust their bedroom accordingly to keep them safe, but still, allow the space to be fun.
You may want to move your toddler out of their cot, and into a proper bed, around this time. While a cot might have kept them contained before, you might notice your tot trying to climb out, which could lead to injuries from falls. Instead, utilising a comfy toddler bed can be a brilliant next step. This type of bed tends to be smaller than your average single bed, meaning it can be less likely for your child to gain significant injury if they have a tumble. Likewise, the mattress itself will be smaller, which can prevent your toddler from feeling overwhelmed in this larger, more open space.
Traditionally, one of the ways that parents may have opted to try and make their child’s room safer could have been through the use of socket covers. However, it has come to light that these could be causing more harm than good. Not only could these potentially destroy the sockets, especially if fiddled with, but they may also increase the likelihood of your child suffering from electrocution. Unplugging items, keeping plugs out of reach, and limiting the number of items in the bedroom that may fit into the socket holes can all be alternative ways of protecting your tot from harm.
Window restrictors may be another item that you want to give due consideration to, especially if there is no way to lock the windows themselves. While they may not be mandatory in private housing, they can be incredibly important, especially with windows that open very widely. The restrictor will prevent the window from opening more than a fraction of the way unless you alter it. This could stop your child from falling. When living in a multi-storey house, or even in a block of flats, this restrictor could even potentially save your toddler’s life.
As your baby develops and grows into a toddler, and then a child, you may need to change the ways that you attempt to keep them safe. Thinking about the potential issues that could arise, and putting solutions into place, can really make a big difference. While, at some point, you may be able to teach them about right from wrong, as well as the dangers that exist, at this moment of their life they may simply be too young to truly understand.