What to Expect the Toddler Years (230 page)

Follow the safety rules for selecting, using, and storing kitchen detergents, scouring powders, silver polishes, and all other potentially toxic kitchen supplies (see page 635).

Try to avoid heating your toddler’s food in a microwave; overheated food or heat pockets in unevenly heated food can scald mouth and tongue. If you do use the microwave, always stir the food thoroughly and test it for temperature yourself before serving it to your child.

Don’t let your toddler open a package of just-popped microwave popcorn and don’t open one yourself within arm’s length of your child—escaping steam can cause serious burns.

Keep your toddler away from toothpicks, sharp skewers, and any other dangerously pointy objects in the kitchen; they can be accidentally or intentionally poked in eyes, nose, ears, and elsewhere, with serious results.

Nearly as alluring as the kitchen, and potentially equally hazardous, is the bathroom. One way to keep it off limits is to put a hook and eye or other latch high up on the bathroom door, and to keep it latched when not in use. (Once your toddler is using the toilet, the latch will have to go.) Also make your bathroom toddler-safe by taking the following precautions:

Be sure your tub bottom is slip-proof; add nonslip decals if it isn’t.

Use nonskid bath rugs on the floor to minimize falls and to cushion them when they do occur.

Install a grab bar over the tub that is low enough for a toddler to grab if necessary; pad the bar if you think it presents a head-bumping risk.

Keep all medications (including over-the-counter ones, such as antacids and aspirin), mouthwashes, toothpaste, vita-min pills, hair preparations and sprays, skin lotions, and cosmetics safely stored out of your child’s reach. (Medicines and vitamins are actually better kept in the bedroom or kitchen, where there is less exposure to moisture, than in the bathroom.) Also be sure razors, scissors, and clippers are well out of reach. Don’t leave soaps or shampoos on the edge of the tub; install a high shelf for these items. Never leave any dangerous items on the bathroom vanity or anywhere else your toddler can reach them, even briefly.

Store toilet bowl cleaners and other cleaning supplies out of your toddler’s reach in a latched cabinet.

Don’t assume the medicine cabinet is out of reach of a climbing toddler. If its contents pose a threat, it should be latched.

Don’t leave a sun lamp or heater within a child’s reach. It’s a burn risk when it’s still hot or a shock risk if a child tries to turn it on or plug it in.

Never use, or let anyone else use, a hair dryer near your toddler when he or she is in the bath or playing with water. If you use a hair dryer on your toddler’s hair (not a great idea, anyway), put it on the lowest heat setting, hold it 8 or 10 inches away from your child’s head, and keep the dryer moving to minimize the risk of burns from focusing on one spot for a period of time.