Toddlers
Toddlers are inquisitive little people with lots of energy. They love rushing around but are still unsteady on their feet. And they have very little understanding of the hazards around them.
(Here we’ve used ‘toddlers’ to cover children aged between about a year and up to about three years-old.)
Did you know that toddlers…
- Have thin skin and bodies that are still developing.
- Can’t concentrate on one thing for very long.
- Often put objects in their mouths to ‘feel’ them – and can choke easily on small things.
- Find it difficult to tell which direction noises are coming from.
- Can repeat simple instructions. But probably won’t understand what they mean – or know how to follow them.
- Like to copy adults’ behaviour.
- Don’t have any real understanding of danger or the consequences of what they do.
- Can use their hands to turn on taps, open windows and unscrew tops.
- Can squeeze through very small gaps.
Top safety tips for toddlers - Quick links to:
Falls
- Use safety gates to stop toddlers climbing stairs or falling down them.
- Begin teaching your child to start to climb stairs. But never let them go up and down on their own.
- Keep low furniture away from windows and fit window locks or catches – otherwise your toddler may have a horrible fall.
- Board up any gaps in horizontal banister rails, as they are easy for toddlers to climb up.
- Use a five point harness to stop your toddler falling from their highchair or pushchair.
- Don’t use the top bunk of bunk beds for toddlers – they are only suitable for children over six years-old.
House fires
Tips for preventing fires apply to all ages. For information go to fire safety (Link to house fires internal page)
Burns and scalds
- Test bathwater with your elbow – the water should not feel hot or cold.
- Get a thermostatic mixing valve fitted to your tap. This controls the temperature at which water comes out. If this isn’t possible, run cold water first and add hot water afterwards.
- Don’t leave hot drinks within reach of curious little hands. And don’t hold a child while holding a hot drink. Or pass a hot drink over a child’s head in case you spill it.
- Try to keep your toddler out of the kitchen – well away from kettles, toasters, saucepans, irons and hot oven doors. You might want to fit a safety gate across the kitchen doorway. Or you could use a playpen in the kitchen to keep them away from hot things.
- When you are cooking, use the rings at the back of the cooker. And turn pan handles towards the back. This way they can’t be grabbed by little fingers.
- Use fireguards to prevent toddlers falling onto fires or heaters.
For more information about burns and scalds [Link to burns and scalds internal page]
Choking and suffocation
- Cut up large pieces of food and encourage toddlers to sit still while eating.
- Supervise young children when they are eating – they choke more easily than adults.
- Don’t give young children hard food like boiled sweets.
- Keep small things like coins, buttons and small parts from older children’s toys out of toddlers’ reach.
- Keep plastic bags out of sight and reach. Plastic bags can end up over their heads and suffocate them.
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Strangulation
- Cut or tie-up curtain or blind cords well out of children’s reach. Small children can strangle themselves if they get caught up in these.
- Don’t hang drawstring bags where a small child could get their head through the loop of the drawstring, as they could strangle themselves if they get caught up.
Poisoning
- Keep all medicines and cleaning products locked away or on high up shelves – where they are out of reach and out of sight.
- Look out for cleaning products with a bittering agent which makes them taste nasty.
- Child-resistant tops on jars and bottles aren’t completely child proof. Some small fingers can open them in seconds.
- For more information about poisoning [Link to poisons internal page]
Cuts and bruises
- Wherever possible use safety glass in doors and windows.
- Use door guards to protect little fingers from being trapped. But remember to close doors at night to prevent risk of fire spreading.
Drowning
- Never leave your toddler alone in the bath or paddling pool – not even for a second.
- Empty the bath as soon as you take your child out. Do the same with paddling pools. A child may try to climb back in or trip and fall in.
- If you have a garden pond, cover it with a solid, rigid cover or, better still, fill it in. And make sure toddlers can’t reach the pond next door.
- Watch toddlers all the time if they are playing in or near water.
Road safety
- The law says that all children must travel in proper child car seats – even on short journeys.
- Always use a car seat that is right for your child’s age, height and weight.
- Never allow a toddler out on the street without an adult.
- Hold your toddler’s hand or use walking reins at all times when you are walking along the street or crossing the road.
For more information about road safety