How to Keep Your Toddler Contained

Toddlers have a spirit of adventure. They'll scale the heights of your kitchen counters and climb out of their cribs without any fear. While exploration is an important part of toddler development, it can also lead to extremely dangerous situations. Your toddler has no sense of personal safety or consequences, so he'll put himself in risky situations without a second thought. Keep him contained by thoroughly baby-proofing, but remember there is no substitute for adult supervision.

Instructions

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      View the world from your toddler's perspective. Get down on your hands and knees and take a tour of the house. Look for drawers she could pull out and use as steps, furniture she could move and other possibilities for dangerous escapades. Make sure every room she can access is completely baby-proofed.

    • 2

      Move all furniture away from windows and install window guards to prevent your child from falling. Keep the window panes shut and locked at all times. Safe Kids Worldwide recommends the installation of an emergency release on second or third floor windows in case of fire.

    • 3

      Mount baby gates in doorways. Although gates are essential at the top and bottom of the stairs, they can also be used to keep your toddler contained in his bedroom or the playroom (or keep him out of an older sibling's room). Read the instructions carefully to ensure proper installation.

    • 4

      Use the highchair. Ideally, you'd be able to watch your toddler every second of the day, but sometimes you need a few minutes of privacy to use the bathroom or take a shower. Strap your toddler into her highchair and put a few toys on the tray. Don't leave her unattended with food or small toys that might pose a choking hazard.

    • 5

      Install locks on doors to the outside as well as bathroom, basement and attic stair doors. Toddlers invariably learn new skills when no one is watching. Just because your toddler didn't know how to open the door yesterday doesn't mean he won't be making a dash for the street today.

    • 6

      Limit your child to a blanket and a small stuffed animal at bedtime. An enterprising toddler might use toys as a step stool to climb out of her crib. Move your toddler to a bed or twin mattress when she is 35 inches tall. Keep her safely contained in her bedroom with a gate.

    • 7

      Close off the gaps between patio railings with Plexiglass if they are more than 4 inches wide. Check backyard fencing for holes and spaces. Make sure your pool is completely fenced in and secured by a self-closing, self-latching gate. Teach older siblings that they should not prop the gates. Never leave your toddler unsupervised outdoors.

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