If you’re baby-sitting toddlers (2 and 3 years old), you won’t be doing much sitting! You’ll be playing with them and supervising their play activities. Your job will be to keep them within safe play areas, preferably within your sight. While in the house, you’ll have to keep them away from potentially dangerous areas such as the kitchen, bathroom, workshop, and storage areas. They move fast, so you will have to be able to move even faster!
Here are some tips on keeping play areas safe for infants and toddlers:
The playpen keeps kids contained, so they're safe, right? Well, usually. But, there's a few things to look out for her.
- Remove strings of toys from across the top or sides of the playpen. They can cause strangulation.
- If the playpen has drop sides, they should always be up and locked securely in position when a child is in the playpen.
Baby walkers seem fun to scoot around in, but they can also scoot down a flight of stairs, into a hot stove, against a table edge, or into a glass door. They offer limited balance to a child not yet completely able to stand or walk. If unstable, walkers can easily tip over. Stay with the child when he or she is in the walker, and assist it over thresholds or carpeting.
A child in a high chair requires almost constant attention. Babies can slip out of a high chair in an instant if not properly strapped in. An unstable high chair can tip over…with the baby in it!
- Make sure any safety belts or straps on the high chair are securely fastened.
- Make sure the tray is properly secured.
- Don’t let the child stand up while in the chair and keep other children from climbing on it.
- Keep the chair away from areas in the house where there is a lot of traffic, such as doorways.
- Keep the chair away from stoves.
- Keep the chair far enough away from walls so that the child can’t push the chair over.
Make sure that the crib is as safe as you can make it. Here are some tips:
- Check to see how much space is between the mattress and the side of the crib. If the space is larger than two fingers, an infant’s head could get caught in between and the infant could suffocate. Roll up a couple of towels and place them in the space.
- Check the slats in the side of the crib. If they are more than 2-3/8 inches apart, the baby’s body can slide between the slats and the baby can suffocate.
- If the child is old enough to stand up, the parents should set the mattress at its lowest position, with the side rail at its highest position.
- Check the mattress support frequently to make sure it hasn’t become unhooked from the end panels.
- Do not leave toys in the crib that could be used to help the infant climb out. Leave only small toys in the crib.
- Do not use crib toys that may have strings or elastic attached to them—they can strangle and choke a child.
- Beware that cribs with decorative knobs on the corner posts can lead to strangulation. Children’s clothing and strings or necklaces can catch on them, especially if the child is trying to climb out.
- Crib gyms should be removed from the crib when the baby is five months old or can push up on hands and knees. Otherwise, the baby can get his/her chin across the gym or catch clothing on it and strangulate.
There are a lot of things to look out for when baby-sitting. But the absolute most important thing you can do is to watch the kids at all times. This will help you prevent many of the calamities listed on this page.
Last reviewed July 2006 by Marcin Chwistek, MD
Please be aware that this information is provided to supplement the care provided by your physician. It is neither intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. CALL YOUR HEALTHCARE PROVIDER IMMEDIATELY IF YOU THINK YOU MAY HAVE A MEDICAL EMERGENCY. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider prior to starting any new treatment or with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.
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