Simple, every day habits you don’t even think about could result in heartbreaking consequences.
If you start to change these habits now, they will be second nature. You will not be trying to change your behaviors after your child is injured or came close to it. You won’t even have to think about it.
You're thinking it's too early to worry about that right?
I get it. You have enough to worry about without adding problems that seem so far away. I’m here to tell you though, they are not as far away as you think.
I have been surprised many times with how many dangers popped up before I even had a chance to consider how to avoid them. This isn’t a post about baby proofing.
This is about your daily habits that could possibly turn into a dangerous situation down the road.
Quick List
- Doors are shut
- Toilet seat down
- Pot and Pan handles never angled within reach
- Hot beverages out of reach
- Stove locked
- Edges of counters clear
- Cords out of reach
More from Fumble Mumble Mom:
Explained
Doors are shut
There are two main reason why it’s important to remember to shut doors.
The most obvious reason is if there is something dangerous behind the door, like stairs.
The second reason is to prevent pinched fingers. We have a pantry bifold door (the kind that bends towards you when you open it), my daughter went to push the door shut and smooshed her fingers right in the crack. It only took one time for me to be obsessed with making sure the door is shut.
While we’re discussing that, always remember to check for fingers when shutting doors!
Toilet seats are down
Another place that can be dangerous that you might not be in the habit of closing the door for is the bathroom.
Not only are there germs and chemicals there is also the risk of your toddler drowning in the toilet, not to mention putting things in the toilet, YUCK!
A second layer of prevention is to always put the toilet seat down. I think this should be done all the time, whether you have kids or not, the thought of poo poo particles floating around when you flush just grosses me out (and for good reason)!
Pot and pan handles never angled within reach
After cooking for so many years this is a hard one to break. You might have never even thought about where the handle is facing, it just naturally lands the easiest place to grab it.
This is very dangerous for obvious reasons!
Burns are THE worst injury in my opinion. I would personally rather have to get stitches!!
Hot beverages out of reach
Not only should the be out of your child’s reach but they also shouldn’t be in your hands if your child could possibly touch the cup or if there’s any chance it could spill and burn your baby.
So far in my daughter’s 18 months of life she has dumped 3 cups of coffee and 1 cup of water all over her face. My back was turned for seconds…I’m so thankful these beverages were not hot.
My days of hot coffee are over. I would rather sit and enjoy a lukewarm cup than stand or find a way to be out of reach for my toddler.
Stove locked
Not all ovens/stoves have this option, but yours might!
The one we currently have is gas and it has the option to “lock” so that the gas does not turn on. So this way if my toddler decides to play with the knobs (hasn’t yet thankfully!) we won’t have gas leaking into the house.
Edges of counters clear
My daughter is always surprising me with how far she can reach when she wants something. Like superhuman stretching for her little size!
You may not realize it yet but you probably put a lot of dangers items right on the edge of the counter: scissors, knives, pens, letter openers, small magnets, button batteries, and the list could go on forever!
Start making it a habit now to make sure if you set something on the counter it’s as far back as possible.
Cords out of reach
Ah, cords. How I loathe thee.
They are often an early interest to babies and you may not realize how many cords you have within reach! Phone chargers, lamps, straighteners, appliances, etc.
Not only are cords a strangulation hazard they pose the threat of baby pulling on them and having something fall onto them.
Old habits die hard...
It’s true. We are habitual creatures, but with practice and the advantage of starting before it’s a problem you can ultimately save yourself a lot of worry and prevent accidents.
What are some good tricks you’ve heard about preventing accidents like these?
