Taking on home safety - Kitchen and bathroom childproofing

This month, I've been focusing on keeping those kids of ours safe. Last week, I gave you the skinny on what to do (and not do) to keep your little ones from falling their way into the emergency room.


But when you've got a curious toddler or preschooler, a few spots in your home become danger zones. Some of the biggest culprits of injury...the kitchen and bathroom.


Well, I had the chance to talk to Stephanie Zerr, owner of Red Bud Baby Planners right here in Edmond. Maybe you don't have any little people on the way, but you may have friends or family with young children, or you may be a grandparent. And while going full-speed-ahead on the babyproofing may not be necessary for a short visit, as a parent or a host, you may want to consider these innocent-seeming items.


The awesomely enticing cabinet. Best to keep these locked with a child-safety lock (much to my mom's annoyance when she visits. "They're made for babies and the older population!" she'll complain). But really, keeping pots and pans locked up ain't a bad idea. But that's not all. Think--really think--about everything you've got in those kitchen and bathroom cabinets. Blenders? Nail polish remover? Cleaning supplies? Yep, I shiver too when thinking about a toddler getting his or her hands on those. And consider whether you really do want to make a play drawer or cabinet in your home, as it may be hard for small ones to understand the difference between "safe" cabinets and "no way" cabinets.


The stove and the oven--bring on the heat! Maybe playing with pots and pans doesn't seem so harmful, but Zerr warns that allowing children to play with them can make it difficult for them to understand why they can't pull one off the stove. On that note, safety companies make some great stove knob covers these days and oven latches. Yes, yes. I know. So frustrating to take an extra step to do anything in the kitchen, but...well, you know the phrase. And how hard is it to open those child locks, really (complaining grandmothers aside)?


Keeping them out of the can. Toilets are filled with water you really don't want your cat and dog drinking. Safe to say you probably want your kiddo to stay out of that water as well (especially since the bowl doubles as a drowning hazard). So, lock it up. You gotta do what you gotta do.


All the rest... Tub faucets--cover them! Plastic bags--put them away! And keep the poison control number posted in an easily accessible area. I know you're busy. I know, because so am I. But an ounce of prevention goes such a long way. These are your kiddos. And in a few years, when those kids are older and wiser (although still accident prone in other ways), you can toss those child locks  out--followed by a "Thank you."