By their very nature, toddlers are unsafe creatures. They want to touch everything, put most things in their mouths, and they run about with no direction or attention to their surroundings. Keeping them safe can be a challenge. We all know the basic childproofing rules, like putting covers on our outlets. But, there are a few things you can do to keep your house safe from the special little toddler hazards. TAKE SPECIAL CARE IN THE KITCHEN By the time your child is a toddler, she is a pro climber. So, all those things sitting on the kitchen counter are no longer out of reach. Neither is your stove top. Put knives and other dangerous items further out of reach, preferably in a cabinet that has childproof doors. And, don't let your child roam free in the kitchen. It's only a matter of time until she learns to turn on the stove. You can also purchase oven door latches and knob covers for the stove. However, I have found that there's zero need for my toddler to ever be in the kitchen alone, so I just keep the kitchen gated so she can't get in there if I'm not with her. SAME GOES FOR THE BATHROOM Most toddlers love taking a bath, so at some point she will probably try to take one on her own. So, in addition to just supervising her closely, I recommend covers for your bathtub knobs. This will prevent her from turning on the hot water and burning her skin. Toilet seat latches are good, too, as they keep your toddler from playing in the toilet, and perhaps losing their balance and falling in. But, I have found these to be a deterrent to gaining potty independence, so when you are fully into potty training they may have to go away to allow your child to learn to go to the potty alone. REMOVE ITEMS THAT ARE GOOD FOR CLIMBING You might want to put the ottomans and other such items away for a while. Anything that your toddler can climb on and move to a different location is likely to cause her to climb somewhere that she shouldn't. WATCH OUT FOR HAIR DRYERS, CURLING IRONS AND OTHER SMALL APPLIANCES I never had trouble with my son where the hair dryer and curling iron was concerned, but my daughter loves them. She likes to pretend to fix her hair just like Mommy. So, keep them put away, or at least unplugged at all times. HAVE BABY GATES My theory is that you can never have too many of them! I have a couple that are permanently placed, but I have two more that I can move around as needed to block off areas temporarily. You'll definitely need these if you ever decide to tackle a household project like painting!