Help me toddler-proof our apartment!
November 21, 2013 6:27 PM Subscribe
Three-year-old relative coming to stay with us for four days over Christmas. We need to toddler-proof our place.
I have done baby-proofing before, but he is past the stage of putting things in his mouth and so on. We have been told he 'wrecks' things (specifically, a printer and a DVD player were mentioned) and he likes to touch stuff and open it up (so the SO's tins of baseball cards will be relocated during the visit).
On the other hand, he can talk and listen, so presumably we could say don't touch and he would not touch, or alternatively, we are a little naive about that...
I don't think we have to worry about him sticking his fingers in electrical plugs or anything. It sounds like it's more that he's curious and likes to see how everything works. So what danger areas should I think about? What sort of checklist should I go through to toddler-proof our place?
I have done baby-proofing before, but he is past the stage of putting things in his mouth and so on. We have been told he 'wrecks' things (specifically, a printer and a DVD player were mentioned) and he likes to touch stuff and open it up (so the SO's tins of baseball cards will be relocated during the visit).
On the other hand, he can talk and listen, so presumably we could say don't touch and he would not touch, or alternatively, we are a little naive about that...
I don't think we have to worry about him sticking his fingers in electrical plugs or anything. It sounds like it's more that he's curious and likes to see how everything works. So what danger areas should I think about? What sort of checklist should I go through to toddler-proof our place?
Put everything of any importance from three feet above the floor down, lock it up or put it up on the refrigerator, lol I've found that kitchen cabinets and bathroom cabinets are the places kids make a bee-line for. If he's a climber, well, nothing is safe. :-D
posted by PJMoore at 6:46 PM on November 21, 2013 [2 favorites]
posted by PJMoore at 6:46 PM on November 21, 2013 [2 favorites]
Putting up baby gates that bar my toddler from entering my kitchen is one of the best things I've done. I highly recommend it.
posted by cestmoi15 at 7:00 PM on November 21, 2013 [2 favorites]
posted by cestmoi15 at 7:00 PM on November 21, 2013 [2 favorites]
Unplug things like DVD players, Xbox/Playstations, etc. Keep the remote controls on a high shelf. Do NOT leave toothbrushes out on the counter in your bathroom... I learned that one the hard way.
posted by barnoley at 7:03 PM on November 21, 2013
posted by barnoley at 7:03 PM on November 21, 2013
Put up anything with batteries or magnets, if he's a mouther. And by put up I mean HIGH. Remotes, weird doodads, flashy stuff, all have things that can cause major harm to kids if they swallow them, or the insides.
Bookshelves, TVs, cabinets, drawers, all need to be stabilised somehow.
A place for handbags that is up high as well (the amount of ER visit stories that start with "So, they got into grandma's handbag..." because that's where all the meds are kept).
Talk with the parents about strategies - you can do the whole house really well, or mostly well and corral the kid in a specific area cordoned off. Some kids listen, some don't, and even the ones that do generally manage to get into or a bite of something before they can be told.
(I say this as someone whose TV isn't fastened down, with a six ft bookcase untethered - we can manage our kid, and the kids who visit, but we're used to it and have a tiny house).
posted by geek anachronism at 7:24 PM on November 21, 2013
Bookshelves, TVs, cabinets, drawers, all need to be stabilised somehow.
A place for handbags that is up high as well (the amount of ER visit stories that start with "So, they got into grandma's handbag..." because that's where all the meds are kept).
Talk with the parents about strategies - you can do the whole house really well, or mostly well and corral the kid in a specific area cordoned off. Some kids listen, some don't, and even the ones that do generally manage to get into or a bite of something before they can be told.
(I say this as someone whose TV isn't fastened down, with a six ft bookcase untethered - we can manage our kid, and the kids who visit, but we're used to it and have a tiny house).
posted by geek anachronism at 7:24 PM on November 21, 2013
In addition to moving fragile items out of reach, be sure to have things you can redirect him to. A low cupboard filled with Tupperware and old pans, some toys & books. This way, instead of just saying "no" you can direct him to something he can touch and play with.
posted by kbar1 at 7:26 PM on November 21, 2013 [5 favorites]
posted by kbar1 at 7:26 PM on November 21, 2013 [5 favorites]
Rubber bands can hold cabinets closed if you have knobs instead of handles.
Everything decorative is at risk and should be stored out of reach.
Telling him no just makes it more enticing.
I would relocate any devices I did not want to replace if broken - DVD, DVR, iPad, stereo, what have you's.
YES. Have a box or cabinet full of stuff it is safe for him to explore and play with so you can redirect his interest!!!
posted by jbenben at 8:46 PM on November 21, 2013
Everything decorative is at risk and should be stored out of reach.
Telling him no just makes it more enticing.
I would relocate any devices I did not want to replace if broken - DVD, DVR, iPad, stereo, what have you's.
YES. Have a box or cabinet full of stuff it is safe for him to explore and play with so you can redirect his interest!!!
posted by jbenben at 8:46 PM on November 21, 2013
If he's not potty trained yet, now is either a great time to invest in a toilet lock, or to find a shelf high up for all phones, tablets and car keys.
posted by Nanukthedog at 8:55 PM on November 21, 2013
posted by Nanukthedog at 8:55 PM on November 21, 2013
Decoys all the way. Find all your old TV remotes and busted cellphones. Leave them out on a low shelf.
Speaking of coffee tables... If you have one and it has square and/or sharp corners, think about relocating it. They're insane injury generators.
posted by JoeZydeco at 8:57 PM on November 21, 2013
Speaking of coffee tables... If you have one and it has square and/or sharp corners, think about relocating it. They're insane injury generators.
posted by JoeZydeco at 8:57 PM on November 21, 2013
In Fifteen Beverly Cleary mentions the mother of one of Jane's toddler charges putting yardsticks through the drawer pulls in the kitchen.
posted by brujita at 11:01 PM on November 21, 2013
posted by brujita at 11:01 PM on November 21, 2013
Several thoughts:
A three-year-old may seem deceptively reasonable, but probably doesn't have the capacity for that. Little understanding. No impulse control. So:
Secure the electric outlets anyway.
Put doorknob covers on places like the laundry room or bathroom where cleaners, etc. are stored.
LOCK medicine away. Don't rely on its being high. It's amazing how toddlers can climb shelves or move chairs, etc., to use as ladders.
Realize that some meds are referred to as "one-pill deadly" for toddlers. Be careful not to drop a tablet when taking meds.
Many cabinet locks are ridiculously ineffective. The best we've found that don't also keep us out are the Safety 1st Flex Locks. You can give them to the child's family at the end of the visit.
Past the stage of putting things in mouth? Really? My 4-year-old is past that stage - 95% of the time. But she still has lapses. Pick up and put away any choking hazards. Anything that will fit inside a film canister is a choking hazard. (Film canister? Gosh, I'm old.)
Look around: what could he pull over? TV? A shelf he climbs on? A heavy potted plant?
Stand guard when the stove is in use. Cook preferentially on the back burners. Turn the pot handles inward. Can he turn on the water? Leave it turned to COLD.
If you will have a Christmas tree, put the cherished ornaments out of reach. Buy some cheap, unbreakable ones (rather than spun glass) for the bottom branches. And resign yourself to those all coming down.
Lots of safe distractions, as others have said. Also, "don't touch," runs counter to all his instincts. But "remember? we touch that with ONE finger!" can work well for some kids.
posted by wjm at 3:39 AM on November 22, 2013 [4 favorites]
A three-year-old may seem deceptively reasonable, but probably doesn't have the capacity for that. Little understanding. No impulse control. So:
Secure the electric outlets anyway.
Put doorknob covers on places like the laundry room or bathroom where cleaners, etc. are stored.
LOCK medicine away. Don't rely on its being high. It's amazing how toddlers can climb shelves or move chairs, etc., to use as ladders.
Realize that some meds are referred to as "one-pill deadly" for toddlers. Be careful not to drop a tablet when taking meds.
Many cabinet locks are ridiculously ineffective. The best we've found that don't also keep us out are the Safety 1st Flex Locks. You can give them to the child's family at the end of the visit.
Past the stage of putting things in mouth? Really? My 4-year-old is past that stage - 95% of the time. But she still has lapses. Pick up and put away any choking hazards. Anything that will fit inside a film canister is a choking hazard. (Film canister? Gosh, I'm old.)
Look around: what could he pull over? TV? A shelf he climbs on? A heavy potted plant?
Stand guard when the stove is in use. Cook preferentially on the back burners. Turn the pot handles inward. Can he turn on the water? Leave it turned to COLD.
If you will have a Christmas tree, put the cherished ornaments out of reach. Buy some cheap, unbreakable ones (rather than spun glass) for the bottom branches. And resign yourself to those all coming down.
Lots of safe distractions, as others have said. Also, "don't touch," runs counter to all his instincts. But "remember? we touch that with ONE finger!" can work well for some kids.
posted by wjm at 3:39 AM on November 22, 2013 [4 favorites]
Survey all your rooms and take stock of the climb-able, high-center-of-gravity furniture-- bookshelves, dressers, chests of drawers, etc. For each of those rooms, either anchor things to the wall or take steps to ensure he'll never be in the room alone-- and that includes if he wakes up early and goes wandering through the house.
A 3-year-old is mostly past the death-by-random-marble phase, but it's a prime climbing age, and it only takes a couple of seconds to fatally tip over a piece of furniture.
posted by Bardolph at 5:21 AM on November 22, 2013
A 3-year-old is mostly past the death-by-random-marble phase, but it's a prime climbing age, and it only takes a couple of seconds to fatally tip over a piece of furniture.
posted by Bardolph at 5:21 AM on November 22, 2013
On the other hand, he can talk and listen, so presumably we could say don't touch and he would not touch, or alternatively, we are a little naive about that...
If he can, that's a bonus, but don't plan on it.
We have a 2.5yr old and the way things work in our home is that we assume he will get into anything he can reach. This gets trickiest in the kitchen, but we've learned to put knives in the dishwasher only when we're about to run it (he loves opening it) and made our peace with his continual rearrangement of the pots and pans. Thankfully, he's not a "wrecker," but we simply don't have anything within his reach (he's 37" tall) that would hurt him or that we have to warn him away from.
This is, of course, trickier when the kiddo doesn't *live* in your house, but just do a survey of everything below chest height. (Remember they can reach above their heads, sneaky buggers.) Rearrange your bookcases if need be that anything precious is out of reach. It will just make the visit much less stressful to not be worrying about things or find kiddo with your first edition Moby Dick in one hand and a crayon in the other.
Likewise move things that he can't break or hurt himself with to lower shelves. Let him play with Tupperware, dish cloths, old wooden spoons, whatever. New environments and new stuff are so fascinating to kids and you may find that he spends the whole weekend enamored with your Nokia phone that hasn't worked in 5yrs and a set of plastic measuring spoons.
If you can, find a way to lock your bathroom from the outside. Doorknob cover, whatever you have to do. Otherwise the best case scenario is slamming the toilet lid all day long, worst is something inevitably expensive and/or irreplaceable down the toilet. Our bathroom has a simple hook type lock at the top of the door. It cost $2.50 and took five minutes to install. Maybe a but much for a weekend, but it's a sanity saver for sure. We also store all of our cleaning products either in cabinets above the counters (and thus above his head) in the kitchen or in the locked bathroom. If you typically store cleaning products under your sink, find a way to secure the cabinet (they make baby proofing devices for this - I wouldn't trust a rubber band with a kid that old) or move them.
Fridge magnets are the greatest toys. If you value anything on the lower half of your fridge, move it up.
Absolutely cover your outlets.
My kiddo isn't a climber, but we still have heavy furniture anchored to the wall.
Baby gates might be hit or miss. We don't use them and my son can knock over the ones in my parents' house. You need a really sturdy one. The flimsy plastic kind can't really withstand the fury of a larger kid.
While it's stressful to childproof, you're very wise to think ahead and a little planning should make for a great visit for everyone :)
posted by sonika at 6:16 AM on November 22, 2013
If he can, that's a bonus, but don't plan on it.
We have a 2.5yr old and the way things work in our home is that we assume he will get into anything he can reach. This gets trickiest in the kitchen, but we've learned to put knives in the dishwasher only when we're about to run it (he loves opening it) and made our peace with his continual rearrangement of the pots and pans. Thankfully, he's not a "wrecker," but we simply don't have anything within his reach (he's 37" tall) that would hurt him or that we have to warn him away from.
This is, of course, trickier when the kiddo doesn't *live* in your house, but just do a survey of everything below chest height. (Remember they can reach above their heads, sneaky buggers.) Rearrange your bookcases if need be that anything precious is out of reach. It will just make the visit much less stressful to not be worrying about things or find kiddo with your first edition Moby Dick in one hand and a crayon in the other.
Likewise move things that he can't break or hurt himself with to lower shelves. Let him play with Tupperware, dish cloths, old wooden spoons, whatever. New environments and new stuff are so fascinating to kids and you may find that he spends the whole weekend enamored with your Nokia phone that hasn't worked in 5yrs and a set of plastic measuring spoons.
If you can, find a way to lock your bathroom from the outside. Doorknob cover, whatever you have to do. Otherwise the best case scenario is slamming the toilet lid all day long, worst is something inevitably expensive and/or irreplaceable down the toilet. Our bathroom has a simple hook type lock at the top of the door. It cost $2.50 and took five minutes to install. Maybe a but much for a weekend, but it's a sanity saver for sure. We also store all of our cleaning products either in cabinets above the counters (and thus above his head) in the kitchen or in the locked bathroom. If you typically store cleaning products under your sink, find a way to secure the cabinet (they make baby proofing devices for this - I wouldn't trust a rubber band with a kid that old) or move them.
Fridge magnets are the greatest toys. If you value anything on the lower half of your fridge, move it up.
Absolutely cover your outlets.
My kiddo isn't a climber, but we still have heavy furniture anchored to the wall.
Baby gates might be hit or miss. We don't use them and my son can knock over the ones in my parents' house. You need a really sturdy one. The flimsy plastic kind can't really withstand the fury of a larger kid.
While it's stressful to childproof, you're very wise to think ahead and a little planning should make for a great visit for everyone :)
posted by sonika at 6:16 AM on November 22, 2013
Give every table/surface you have a shake (or hip check). See what falls or wobbles. You may want to move those things because kids have a way of knocking in to EVERYTHING ON THE PLANET and if a thing can fall over, it will.
move ALL electronics and start thinking now where you are going to keep your smart phone, iPad, laptop, etc. I suggest keeping those types of things in your bedroom and keeping that door locked/off limits. Your bedroom should be your safe haven.
This is entirely dependent on the kid, but some kids get a kick of out pulling on them really hard, which in some cases and make them fall down. For Fabric ones I usually just tie them in to a big loose-ish knot that raises them up high enough and out of reach. For blinds that have long cords (Venetian blinds), make sure those strings are WELL out of reach.
Do a REALLY good job of securing the cupboard with cleaning supplies or anything that could be dangerous for a child. Some kids are wizards when it comes to getting through "kid proof" safety locks. Cheap plastic zip ties, however, are great.
Also, make sure you have a lock for your bathroom door and that you use said lock while they are visiting. Kids that young (and older) have no sense of letting people poop in privacy and will happily barge in to ask for a graham cracker or show you a toy. We actually have a SECOND lock on the bathroom door (a simple, cheap hook and eye one), way at the top of the door and we kept that latched when the bathroom wasn't being used so that curious kids couldn't gain access to the bathroom and all its wonders.
Purses are kid wonderland. Keep purses well out of reach.
Do you have pets?
posted by PuppetMcSockerson at 7:24 AM on November 22, 2013
move ALL electronics and start thinking now where you are going to keep your smart phone, iPad, laptop, etc. I suggest keeping those types of things in your bedroom and keeping that door locked/off limits. Your bedroom should be your safe haven.
This is entirely dependent on the kid, but some kids get a kick of out pulling on them really hard, which in some cases and make them fall down. For Fabric ones I usually just tie them in to a big loose-ish knot that raises them up high enough and out of reach. For blinds that have long cords (Venetian blinds), make sure those strings are WELL out of reach.
Do a REALLY good job of securing the cupboard with cleaning supplies or anything that could be dangerous for a child. Some kids are wizards when it comes to getting through "kid proof" safety locks. Cheap plastic zip ties, however, are great.
Also, make sure you have a lock for your bathroom door and that you use said lock while they are visiting. Kids that young (and older) have no sense of letting people poop in privacy and will happily barge in to ask for a graham cracker or show you a toy. We actually have a SECOND lock on the bathroom door (a simple, cheap hook and eye one), way at the top of the door and we kept that latched when the bathroom wasn't being used so that curious kids couldn't gain access to the bathroom and all its wonders.
Purses are kid wonderland. Keep purses well out of reach.
Do you have pets?
posted by PuppetMcSockerson at 7:24 AM on November 22, 2013
In addition to all the safety tips listed above, I would find and remove or secure all markers and pens so that they are out of reach. It is uncanny how fast my toddler can find a Sharpie and start "coloring". Not the end of the world, but kinda sucks if it's your sofa.
posted by Jemstar at 7:42 AM on November 22, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by Jemstar at 7:42 AM on November 22, 2013 [1 favorite]
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Go around your house on your knees to help get a new perspective.
posted by HMSSM at 6:45 PM on November 21, 2013 [1 favorite]