Don't Touch That It's Dangerous!
However, there are some situations that are dangerous or could even prove fatal for the unsuspecting toddler. Inside and outside of the house, a toddler requires constant supervision to keep them safe from the very world around them and the myriad troubles they can get themselves into. A toddler has no notion of what is safe and what isn't, so it's up to the adult to watch for these dangers.
Inside your home, everybody knows about covering electric sockets, stoves, and keeping chemicals and medicines out of children's reach. But your home is beset with dangers you probably haven't thought about. You know how dogs like to drink out of toilets? So do toddlers! There must be something innately fascinating about toilet bowls that lures dogs and children. Try keeping the lid down and the bathroom door shut. Your dog may be unhappy, but your child will be germ-free.
Toddlers are also drawn to pet food. Fish food, bird seed, dried dog food - toddlers, with their perfectly reasonable logic, think that if it's okay for the pets to eat, it must be okay for them to eat! After all, pets eat human food, so why can't we eat animal food? Try gently reminding your toddler that animal food is only okay for animals, not for people. Be prepared for that ever-popular question, "But WHY?"
There are dozens of choking hazards in your home. Rubber bands, paper clips, twisty-ties from bread wrappers, coins, even food items like chips and crackers can be hazardous. If you were to interview a hundred ER physicians, most of them would tell you stories about clashes between little kids and household items. A classic story is the physician who removed a nickel from the nose of a five-year-old! This is a good time to teach your toddler that loose items and their orifices isn't a good match.