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Home › Articles › Baby and Toddler › Toddlers on the Move

Toddlers on the Move

Giving Children Freedom to Explore While Ensuring Safety

By Melinda Copp

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This internal struggle can make your toddler run into your arms for a comforting hug one minute, and then want nothing to do with you the next. Parents should be aware that their toddler struggles with this, Dr. Berman says, so that they understand where the child's seemingly fickle behavior comes from.

Try Not to Panic

When allowing your toddler freedom to explore, keeping your panic instincts in check can be a challenge.

"My son loves to run, jump and play everywhere," says Beth Silver, a mom from New York City. "My husband and I once asked a friend with older kids how they do it without freaking out, and our friend told us to look at the injury. If it's a broken arm, direct them and teach; if it's a broken neck, stop them. That's been my mantra as I watch my son be a toddler in New York City."

"The toughest thing is finding a balance between allowing them to explore and safety," Dr. Berman says. The key is to completely toddler-proof certain rooms of the house, where your child can explore safely, and keep them under close supervision in not-so-toddler-proof rooms.

When your toddler starts walking, exploration will become a way of life. Your toddler will want to see and handle everything, which is important developmentally and emotionally – at least for the child. For parents, giving a toddler freedom to explore can seem like a nightmare. But when you use these strategies for understanding your child's curiosity and keeping the home environment toddler-proof, you help your child develop and learn about the world safely.

Revisit Safety

"The top four causes for childhood accidents around the home are falls, airway obstructions, burns and poisoning," says Alison Rhodes, co-founder of Peek-a-Boo BabyProofing. "This really follows a child through the developmental stages."

Rhodes offers the following suggestions for bumping up your baby-proofing measures to accommodate active toddlers:

  • When a child starts walking, she also starts pulling herself up on whatever she can reach. Furniture, even light furniture, should be secured to the wall. And televisions and audio equipment should be secured within the cabinet to prevent them from falling out.
  • Every drawer and door will become a challenge and a potential threat. Cabinets that hold sharp objects as well as toiletries and cosmetics should be secured. "Securing them is only one layer of protection," Rhodes says. "Household cleaners and other toxic products should be moved out into a garage or basement that is completely off limits to your child."
  • Falls from windows are another hazard for active toddlers. Move furniture away from windows so your child can't use it as leverage or fall out. When possible, open windows only from the top, or open them from the bottom no more than four inches. If you have windows that are low to the floor, consider installing window guards.
  • Keep up with safety recalls – and not just for toys but cribs, play yards and other juvenile products. And while hand-me-downs are tempting, you never know if something has been recalled or no longer meets today's safety standards.

These strategies will help you create a safe home environment where your toddler can explore safely.


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