Toddlers (1 – 3 years)
Now that your little one is a little bit more mobile, and can get their little fingers around to grab at any and everything, safety becomes an even more important factor in their care.
General safety
Now that your toddler will be moving around a lot more, it is more important than ever supervise them at all times. Children can go from playing quietly to getting up to all kinds of mischief in a matter of seconds, and, as a toddler, they don’t understand the dangers of their everyday surroundings. It is also vitally important to ensure you don’t leave your child unattended on any kind of elevated surface, or near any kind of exposed body of water.
Safety in the home
As your little one starts to move around the home, their little fingers itching to grab and pull at everything within reach, you will find yourself constantly discovering new ways to safety-proof your home.
Locking up medicines and poisons, installing baby gates and keeping sharp and foreign objects out of reach are great starts to making your house a safer place. You should always keep doors and windows locked up high and keep chairs and other climbable objects away from them. Keep all dangling cords out of reach, and doors to rooms you don’t want little one finding their own way into closed. Explain to your toddler why certain are unsafe, so that they can start to recognize dangerous situations and objects themselves as they grow.
Keep copies of emergency contact information on hand just in case.
Outdoor safety
Whenever you are outside, you should take extra care with your child. Exposure to germs in the air and from the general population can be a big factor in keeping them safe in the outside world. Even though as your child grows their immune system becomes stronger, you should still always make sure to sanitize/use your own covering on any ‘common use’ areas your little one might come into contact with (e.g. public changing stations).
Babies like to explore everything, and often use touch and taste to do so. Keep an eye on the things you let your child handle, but bear in mind that discovering things in this way is a big part of their development.
Sun safety
Sun safety is an important concern with your toddler. Extensive exposure to the sun and UV radiation are high contributors to skin cancer. Young children’s skin is especially susceptible to sunburn. There are a variety of sun safety practices available.
Car safety
When driving with your child in the car, always ensure that they are secure in the correct car restraint. Once your child is a year old, they can continue to be seated in a rear-facing approved child restraint, or move into a forward facing approved child restraint with an inbuilt harness. It is important that you use the correct restraint for your child’s size and weight to keep them safest.
When travelling in the car, make sure all loose items are stowed where they cannot move around during transit. Your child might like to have some toys to play with in the car, make sure that any toys you give them are free from choking hazards and wont hurt them if he or she drops it on themselves.
Never leave your child alone in the car, not even for a moment. Leaving a child alone in a car is not only dangerous, it is considered a crime in every state and territory in Australia and you could be charged and convicted.
First aid
Part of being a parent is being prepared for anything, including accidents, injuries and illness. Learning about first aid care and the correct way to perform CPR on your child may save their life one day. You can find up to date information on CPR and first aid for children and babies, and when and where courses are held on the St Johns Ambulance website.
raisingchildren.net.au. (2019, February 11). Child safety at home. Retrieved from https://raisingchildren.net.au/toddlers/safety/home-pets/home-safety
raisingchildren.net.au. (2020, May 1). Child car safety. Retrieved from https://raisingchildren.net.au/toddlers/safety/car-pedestrian-safety/car-safety
raisingchildren.net.au. (2019, February 12). Outdoor safety at home: in pictures. Retrieved from https://raisingchildren.net.au/toddlers/safety/outdoor-safety/outdoor-safety-in-pictures