Kiddipedia
The toddler stage is notoriously challenging for parents: it’s the age when your child starts navigating around on their own, exploring the world around them and inevitably getting into mischief. As a result, safety is a huge concern for parents with toddlers.
Thankfully, there are a few things that parents can do around the house to make things a little safer and put their minds at ease. By taking small steps today, you’ll be saving your family from serious pain later.
Most of these adjustments are relatively simple to complete, but doing them could save your children from a risk of serious injury or harm.
Make the electrics safe
Like it or not, toddlers love sticking things in electrical power points. Parents shouldn’t worry, though, because there’s a cheap, simple, easy adjustment you can make that should solve your problem once and for all. All you need is a removable power point cap – this will prevent children from sticking anything into the power point holes and are too difficult for small hands to remove. For more persistent problems, you could consider replacing your power points with tamper-resistant versions with built-in plug covers.
Reduce the chance of scolding
Once toddlers are old enough to reach taps on their own, there’s a serious risk of injury if the temperature of your taps isn’t controlled. Water at 65ºC produces a full-thickness burn in under a second, at 60ºC it takes five seconds, but at 50ºC takes five minutes to produce the same depth of burn. By reducing your water to 50ºC, you’ll be ensuring both you and your toddlers are safe from dangerous scalds.
If you’re moving house, get your hot water temperature checked by a licensed professional straight away, before it causes a serious accident – especially if you live in an older house that may not have a tempering valve installed. This is an absolute must for every home, but is especially important when you have toddlers.
Toddler-proofing your toilet…
There’s no getting away from the fact that toddlers love flushing things down the toilet – everything from toys to keys to small pets. If your child is a serial flusher you might want to consider a toilet lock, which will prevent them from opening the lid of the toilet with adult assistance. Plus, a toilet lock will prevent children from getting their hands all over the inside of the toilet, which is a good thing in anyone’s books.
Another simple solution is to install a lock to the outside of your toilet, at a height that your toddler can’t reach. That way, you’re able to control the rooms they’re able to access on their own, reducing the chance of mystery toilet blockages and dirty hands.
As the owner of a plumbing and electrical company, I’ve seen a huge range of accidents arise from something a toddler has done around the house. If you can be aware of the risks ahead of time, you’ll be able to put a stop to some of the more preventable accidents toddlers can have. Plus, you’ll be putting your own mind at ease knowing that you’ve done everything you can to keep your child out of harm’s way.
Zak Saboune, founder, Service Today:
Early in his career, Zak Saboune recognised that being a skilled tradesperson wasn’t enough in today’s competitive world. Zak’s strong belief in reliable on-time performance and predictable, honest prices led him to found Service Today, a professional home services company offering services including emergency plumbing, electrical, heating and cooling. https://www.servicetoday.com.au/
Backed by his experience as a licensed plumber, Zak’s passion for great customer service and flair for marketing and technology has seen Service Today expand into one of Australia’s leading emergency home service businesses, with over 180 employees in Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide.
