Childproofing Your Home for a Toddler: The Second Time Around

When you had your first child, you made sure to dot every "i" and cross every "t" when it came to childproofing your home. You made sure that even your doorknobs had those very inconvenient plastic safety cap attached, and placed anything poison in locked cabinets. You probably rearranged part of your house, along with your life to accommodate the safety changes your home would need to incur for the safety of your toddler. Believe it or not, the second time around is even more tedious and difficult! But, adding these things to your check list are well worth the extra effort.

Besides anything that you can buy at a store to protect your children, especially toddlers, you will need to constantly monitor the toys your other children have lying around. Depending on the age of your older child (children), you will find this job more annoying then those door knob covers! Just imagine your five year old child's matchbox car collection being labeled as a "DANGER" due to possible chocking hazards. Yes, I have seen it all. These matchbox cars pop tires off, little mirrors break off, and even the car doors themselves can become finger food for your toddler.

It's a difficult task because your older child is not aware of these dangers. They are often playing with one toy, and off to the next. With a crawling child around, they just pick up what ever is lying around. It doesn't stop with matchbox cars either. Just think: crayons, markers, toy jewelry, figurines, even Barbie doll shoes and accessories. Think of all the toys that will be at arms reach of your toddler, it's as scary thought!