Toddler Development

See all Pictures & Images

Safety

Toddler safety is very important.

• It is important for parents to recognize that the child can now walk, run,
  climb, jump, and explore wherever the environment is unrestricted. This new
  stage of mobility makes "child proofing" the home essential. Window guards,
  gates on stairways, cabinet locks, toilet seat locks, and other safety features
  are absolutely essential.
• As during the infancy period, the toddler should be placed in a safety
  restraint (toddler car seat) whenever he/she rides in a car.
• Do not leave a toddler unattended for even short periods of time. Remember,
  more accidents occur during toddler years than any other stage of childhood.
• Rules specific to not playing in streets or crossing without adults should be
  introduced and strictly adhered to.
• Falls are an important source of injury. Keep gates or doors closed to
  stairways and use guards for all windows above the ground floor. Do not leave chairs or ladders in areas likely to entice the toddler into climbing up to
  explore new areas. Use corner guards on furniture in areas where the toddler is likely to walk, play, or run.
• Childhood poisonings are a frequent source of morbidity and mortality during
  the toddler ages. Keep all medications in a locked cabinet. Keep all toxic
  household products (polishes, acids, cleaning solutions, chlorox, lighter fluid,
  insecticides, rat or roach poisons, etc.) in a locked cabinet or closet. Many
  household plants can cause illness if ingested, and "toad stools" and other
  garden plants can cause serious illness or death. Obtain a list of these common
  plants from your pediatrician.
• If a family member owns a firearm, make sure it is unloaded and securely
  locked up in a secure place.
• When cooking, toddlers should be restricted from the kitchen with a safety
  gate or placed in a playpen or high chair to eliminate the danger of burns by
  pulling hot foods off the stove or bumping into the hot oven door.
• Toddlers love to play in water, but should never be allowed to do so alone. A
  toddler may drown even in shallow water in a bathtub. It may be a good age to initiate swimming lessons, but knowing how to swim does not eliminate the need for supervised water-play at this age.