This is a very difficult time to have a toddler or a small child. With the holidays fast approaching most parents are busier than ever. If as a parent you feel overwhelmed, it would be a good idea to hire a friend's teenage daughter or son to help with your child or children. Yes, they need to wear masks and you want to be sure they have been tested recently for the corona virus.
If you are ordering or buying toys to give to your children, you want to check that they don't have buttons that can be pulled off, removable eyes, magnets, or any other removeable parts. Children will swallow just about anything small. I had one little patient who swallowed a razor blade and I use his x-ray to teach medical students. There is a museum in the east that exhibits the many objects that have been removed from little stomachs and bowels.
All medicines, cleaning supplies, and dishwasher products should be put up out of reach. I would also check to be sure your house has adequate smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. A wall furnace and fireplaces need to have good screens around them. Open wires or frayed cords can be dangerous and should be removed. Plastic bags should never be within a child's reach. Matches, alcohol, and cigarettes should also be put out of reach. One of the things I always did at night before I went to bed was to walk around the house to be sure neither of my children could get into anything if they were up before I was. Jennifer, even as a toddler, was very adept at climbing out of her crib and later her bed.
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