Childproofing for grandparents
Does taking the littles to older relatives’ homes feel like a parent’s safety nightmare?
Here is a safety cheat-sheet with tips that I put together along with my colleague and friend, Dr Darria, who is an emergency medicine physician and a wealth of knowledge.
What I love about these tips is that they are low effort - but they provide major payoff in terms of keeping your child safe, and maintaining your peace of mind!
I also have a separate article on childproofing for the holidays which is worth checking out.
The Pediatrician Mom Tip: Send this article to any extended family you plan to visit this holiday season!
Second nature, but easily forgotten
As a parent, I find that it has become second-nature for me to do small things around the house to keep my kids safe. I intuitively do things like moving hot beverages away from edges of counters, turning pot handles towards the back of the stove, and keeping the bathroom door closed.
But for those relatives who have not had to live with a little one for some years, its easy to fall out of practice with the childproofing. So here are some important safety tips to share.
Safety tips never to miss
Button batteries
Even as a pediatrician mom, we almost had a button battery incident several years ago during the holidays. A relative was changing his hearing aid battery, and threw the old one into the wastebasket. Thankfully, I found it before my then 1 year old did - but that story could have ended so differently.
Button batteries are dangerous. Ingestions can lead to internal burns and serious problems. And those ingestions are most likely to happen when you are changing batteries, and you turn away for a second. Kids are fast!
Make sure that you are extra careful during battery changes and that you keep track of the batteries - and dispose of them safely.
Laundry and dishwasher pods
These pods are one of the most common reasons for poison control calls and hospitalizations in kids every year. They’re colorful and tempting, and in many households they’re kept in the cabinet under the sink - along with other cleaning supplies. All these supplies are dangerous. Try to put them away, out of reach, before the little kids arrive.
Medications
This applies to both prescription and OTC meds. Many grandparents are on oral prescription medications that do things like dropping your blood pressure, dropping the blood glucose, or altering heart function. These are often put into easy-open containers for people with arthritis, but of course that makes them easier for children to get into as well.
Nowadays, there are also many meds that come in patch form - such as Nicotine, Lidocaine, or even Diabetes medications. Remember: these look like stickers — and kids love stickers!
All medications should be locked away and out of reach. And they should never be left in handbags, bedside tables, or on the counters! They should be taken in a bedroom or other room that is not accessible to the children, and never put into a pocket to “take later” - which happens more often than you think.
Dispose of used patches safely. This means folding them in half, wrapping them in a tissue, and then putting them into an inaccessible trash can.
Cords and outlets
Cords from window blinds, and electric cords for appliances (such as the coffee maker or the toaster) are sometimes dangling and easily accessible for curious children. Make sure these are tied away.
Outlet covers are easily available and not much trouble to install.
Stair gates
Did you know that these can easily be rented? In the chaos of the holidays, its easy for a child to slip away - and they tend to pick those places that are most dangerous (of course). Keep doors, windows, pool gates and the garage door locked if you can. And install stair gates both at the top and the bottom of the stairs.
Often, grandparents like the gates that can easily be taken down after the visit - one option here is a pressure-mounted gate, but there are many products available!
The garage door
Make sure the automatic reversing mechanism on the garage door is functional.
Cabinets
Magnetic safety locks for cabinets are cheap, easy to install, and worth the investment.
Think about kitchen and bathroom cabinets in particular. We personally like the ones that can be disabled without being removed - simply turn them “off” after the visit and back “on” before the next visit!
Decorations
All Christmas trees should be anchored and breakable or special ornaments either put out of reach or put away.
Also put away hard candies, tchotchkes and other random coffee table decorations, and try not to have heavy lamps or decorative items on table cloths that can be pulled down.
