Got a toddler at home? Then you must watch this video. You may never wonder why you need to childproof your window ledges, ever again. I recall, when my daughter was still a toddler, I’d wish I could clone myself just to keep an eye on her as she went around doing her toddler-business of being here one moment and just vanishing the next.
Once an unfortunate accident has occurred, there is no point blaming each other for what happened. When you have a child at home, it’s best to childproof everything. After all, children aren’t aware of the dangers they could be exposing themselves to as they go around discovering their own homes.
While it’s an exciting time for parents to watch their toddlers explore their surroundings, it’s also peppered with heartstopping moments. Take this toddler for instance. When and how did he manage to climb up the window, cross over to the ledge and… Oh, just watch the video and experience the spine-chilling moments:
Scary, eh? No parent would consciously make way for such accident prone instances with a curious and active toddler around. That’s all the more reason for parents to ensure that they childproof their homes, especially the window ledges, to keep their bubs safe. It doesn’t matter whether you live in a high-rise, it always makes sense to have proper safety features installed to avoid an unforeseen incident involving your child. Here are some basic tips to be kept in mind to childproof your windows:
- Avoid seating arrangements near windows: Most often windows are high enough to not be easily accessible for your child. However, if there are sofas or other seating arrangements near the window area, children may be tempted to climb over them and easily reach the window. Also look around for light objects like baby chairs, or cans which can be easily pulled near the window to be used as a ladder. Then there is the risk of children flinging objects heavy enough to break the window pane. Ensure, the area near all your windows are clear of these things. Identify the possible risk factors ad reorganise your rooms in such a manner that all furniture, stackable and heavy objects away from the windows.
- Install window guards: These are like slats or bars for your windows. Yes, it does totally kill the way your window looks (pretty much like a prison), however, you can then relax, especially if you live in a high-rise apartment. These can be custom-made to fit your windows. Just make sure that the guard has an emergency release and check if the window guard is approved for use in a residence.
- Have window stops: If you do not want the windows to open beyond a certain point, get these installed. While these limit the opening range of your window, that’s also why you must get them installed. The best rule of thumb is to allow no more than 4 inches of opening because that’s about the size of a 5-month-old’s torso.
- Go for shard-proof window films: When tempered glass is broken it fractures into a million shards that can get everywhere. You don’t want those near your toddler. A transparent window film is applied to the pane of glass and it prevents the shards from getting everywhere. It doesn’t prevent a crack; it just contains the shards.
The sooner you childproof your windows (the whole house, to be honest), the sooner you'll be able to enjoy spending time with and away from your little explorer.
READ: Keep your child safe with these crib safety tips
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[Images courtesy: Youtube, Pixabay]
