10 Items Worth Childproofing In the House

10 Forbidden Toddler "Toys"

February 21, 2010

Source: Getty

3 / 13

by babysugar 17

Cords and Wires

Children love to play with cords and wires. Parents who plug their cell phones into baseboards or have large weighty lamps sitting up on tables should make sure they are hidden from tiny eyes.

3 / 13

by babysugar 17

Cords and Wires

Children love to play with cords and wires. Parents who plug their cell phones into baseboards or have large weighty lamps sitting up on tables should make sure they are hidden from tiny eyes.

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17 Comments

Isista 3 years

*list, not this

Isista 3 years

I agree with the first couple posters on two things: A) When I babysit kids, I may not hide an electrical socket, and will point out why you shouldn't play there, but I also use a protector. So I suppose I use both methods that are being debated here. I myself was never "hidden" from things and I survived, but I also had parents who paid attention to me (not pointing fingers at anyone, mind you, but I know lots of parents who don't pay attention and then blame everyone else for their child getting hurt). and B) Way to go on a fairly obvious this, guys. If you really need this as a tool to help guide your decisions, maybe you should stay far, far away from children.

ellierock44 3 years

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MissSushi 3 years

Refresh the page. They are all showing up. I agree though - i thought the same things. Incredibly dangerous and stupid.

3 years

Ok, this is weird, first they show my comment, then take it away, then don't show my second comment and then the first one comes back...ugh..forget this!

3 years

Hey where did my comments go? I was agreeing with Betty Wayne on how these pictures and the person that took them and uses them are very irresponsible. Teaching kids to do bad things for a picture??? So I didn't do a personal attack, threat, spam, lewd image or promote a personal website...where are my two comments? Normally I sign in under my user name but I've been having trouble signing in lately. So, if I'm anonymous my comments just disappear?

3 years

And I almost forgot to mention the kid playing with the toilet. I can picture the photographer "Ok Timmy, put your foot on the toilet now! Good boy! Now don't ever do that again..bad boy!" Idiotic!

3 years

Betty Wayne...thank you! I was thinking the same thing. There isn't a protector in the outlet. That baby seems to be playing with a plastic bag...I hope it's photoshopped! And then there is the boy holding on to the oven door with a man standing nearby. So are these children being asked to do these things or given dangerous things as props so a pic can be taken and then they get reprimanded or hurt when they go to do it again? I'm seriously wondering about this. I say these pics are irresponsible.

Bettye Wayne 3 years

MissSushi I taught my girl to leave dangerous things alone, too. I wonder who did the photography for this slide-show! Taking pictures of babies putting their fingers in light sockets... I certainly hope they turned the circuit breaker off for that one.

3 years

I don't think missSushi was saying that anon's parenting style was "wrong" just that it's not her way. I myself agree with MissSushi. You learned not to jump out of an airplane without a chute by avoiding it, but I'm sure other lessons along the way helped to teach you that, probably something along the lines of jumping off something not so high and finding you fall to the ground quickly. We keep the obvious things out of reach like bags and knives, and close the basement and bathroom doors, but when you've got older kids some things can't be avoided! We can't lock the toilet because there's no way the 3 year old could open it and I don't want to be cleaning the floor everytime she has an "accident" because she couldn't open the toilet. We do make sure we use the deadbolts on the doors because our younger one's can't open those and can't get out onto the steets and such. We use gates for the stairs when the wee one's are getting mobile but we also teach the kids to go up and down safely as soon as they can because we can't force others to have or use gates everywhere we go. We also have some places where gates simply won't work. It's a fine line for everyone I believe because you have to do what works best for your family and what you're comfortable with.

3 years

We teach by avoidance. I don't need to know from experience that jumping out of a plane without a parachute can cause injury, I simply have learned not to do it by avoiding that. You do it your way, I'll do it mine. I never said yours was wrong, I explained why WE don't do it your way, so please don't tell me what I should and shouldn't do.

amandachalynn 3 years

I'm with Miss Sushi. It's much better and safer to teach them why things need to be avoided, rather than just hide them from it. What happens if they're at a grandparents house that doesn't have locks? They are better off knowing why to stay away from dangerous things.

MissSushi 3 years

That is so true, anon, their first time alone with such dangerous things may be their last. Which is exactly why you should TEACH them to stay away from those things long before they can access them by themselves.

3 years

Yeah, I'm one of those who thinks life and death should be avoided, not taught. I can't imagine taking chances with fire and water-filled toilets, the first time they "learn" may be the last thing they ever do.

MissSushi 3 years

I didn't childproof any of these things, myself. Other then keeping obvious ones, like the trash bag, knives, out of her reach. I just kept an eye on her and taught her not to touch said things. That fire and the oven was hot was one of her very first lessons. I kept the bathroom door shut and taught her to leave the toilet alone once she could open knobs.

3 years

If someone needs a list to childproof these things rather than know from common sense, it scares me.

3 years

Wow. Thanks for the great article Captain Obvious!