PACKING MATERIALS - CHILD ID - BREAST CANCER AWARENESS - SEPTEMBER IS BABY SAFETY MONTH - WATER - HEATERS - KITCHENS - VEHICLES - WINDOWS - OVEN SAFETY - ELECTRICAL - FIREPLACES - FURNITURE SAFETY - GATE INSTALLATION KITS

Childproofing Tip of the Month: Fireplace Hearths - We hate to admit it, but yes, cooler days are just around the corner.  One of our favorite fall activities is to sit in front of the warm fireplace to read the newspaper.  

For most people, this image is a pleasant one.  As childproofers, however, we've seen & heard far too many injury stories.  The sharp edges and corners of fireplace hearths send children to the ER every year for stitches and concussions.  Install hearth cushions to pad edges and corners.

If you want to use your fireplace when your little one is around, install a fireplace safety gate around the fireplace to prevent access.

If you haven't done it lately, please make sure to check the batteries in your smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors today!

Childproofing Tip of the Month: Packing Materials - Have you ever ordered items online, unpacked them through a mass of Styrofoam peanuts or plastic bubble bags, and then later found your child playing with or mouthing the Styrofoam or plastic?

Plastic & Styrofoam packing materials protect your investment from damage during shipping, but are a choking and suffocation hazard to children.  Promptly dispose of them in an inaccessible & closed container to safeguard your children.

At TotSafe, we protect your order AND your child by using child-safe (and recyclable) paper stuffing.  Safe for you, your child, and helping to preserve the environment.

Do your part in preserving the planet for our children.  Reduce, reuse & recycle and click here to view a few of our favorite Green Cleaning tips.

If you haven't done it lately, please make sure to check the batteries in your smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors today!

Childproofing Tip of the Month: Child ID Safety - It's a parent's worst nightmare - all of the sudden you realize you don't know where your child is.  It can happen anywhere, anytime and according to the National Child Identification Program, approximately 800,000 children are reported missing each year.  That number includes reports of children running away, being abducted by family members, and abduction by non-family members.  In addition, there are thousands more children who go missing for short periods of time but are not reported.  To help prevent your child from becoming part of this horrifying statistic:

• Install home security products on all windows and doors to prevent your children from leaving the home unattended and to prevent access by uninvited guests and predators.

• Place your child (strapped in) in the shopping cart or stroller.

• When you go out in public or to the park, dress your child in a bright colored shirt that you can recognize in the event that your child wanders off.

• Have your older child walk next to you no further than an arms length away.  Your child should never walk behind you -- you can't see them.

• Never leave your child unattended outdoors - even in your front yard.

• Children who walk to and from school should walk in a group of three or more or with older siblings.

• Create child safety ID kits for each child including fingerprinting and DNA.

• Give your child a voice!  Each child should always wear some form of identification.  Whether it be a Child ID bracelet, shoe tag, car seat ID sticker or simply a piece of paper tucked into their back pocket, children need to know how to tell a safe adult who they are and how to get them home safely.  This information should not be easily viewable by strangers as they might use it to gain your child's trust.

• Empower your child to recognize and react appropriately to strangers.  Watch the Stranger Safety Video designed by John Walsh and Julie Clark with your children often and discuss how to locate a safe adult and what to do in the event of becoming lost or abducted.

Please click here to view our entire line of Child Safety ID items.

To see this and other great child safety tips, visit our Tip of the Month page.

If you haven't done it lately, please make sure to check the batteries in your smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors today!

Childproofing Tip of the Month:  October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month!

Here at Totsafe we normally focus our efforts on keeping the little ones in your life safe and healthy.  This October we're focusing our efforts on helping keep the moms, grandmas, sisters & aunts in our lives safe and healthy.  Along with the National Breast Cancer Awareness Month organization, we are proud to offer this informational article about breast cancer including what it is and how to prevent it.

Download the National Breast Cancer Awareness Month 
Breast Cancer Q & A today.

This document requires Adobe Reader.  Click here to be forwarded to Adobe. 

To see this and other great child safety tips, visit our Tip of the Month page.

If you haven't done it lately, please make sure to check the batteries in your smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors today!

Childproofing Tip of the Month:  September is Baby Safety Month!

This September marks the 24th anniversary of Baby Safety Month, sponsored annually by the Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association (JPMA). This year, JPMA is helping get parents and caregivers "Out & About With Baby" by providing valuable information for keeping baby safe in the great outdoors.

From carriers to car seats to strollers and more, there are a wide variety of products all parents and caregivers need to get baby out and about.  With more options available than ever before, there is quite a bit to consider when choosing the product best suited for your baby.

For tips to help you care for your little one while "out & about with baby" visit the JPMA's Baby Safety Month Page online today!

To see this and other great child safety tips, visit our Tip of the Month page.

If you haven't done it lately, please make sure to check the batteries in your smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors today!

Childproofing Tip of the Month: Water Safety - The dog days of summer are here! The increase in temperature often signals an increase in juvenile drowning due to swimming pools, lakes and other water-related injuries & deaths.   Each year, thousands of children are injured and/or killed due to accidents around water. Take the time now to review our water safety tips:

• Swimming Pools: NEVER allow children around swimming pools unattended.  Even "strong swimmers" can have accidents and flotation devices are not a substitute for competent adult supervision.  All pools should be secured with an appropriate safety gate per local ordinances and if you have a pool in the backyard (even a little kiddie pool), doors to the backyard should be locked.  All temporary pools should be emptied when not in use.  Check with your local government for specific rules regarding pools.

• Lakes: The US Coast Guard requires the use of a Coast Guard approved personal flotation device (PFD) for all children when in/around the water during boating.  We recommend that all children under the age of 12 use a PFD when near the lake.  Again, appropriate adult supervision is key to keeping your little swimmers safe.

To see this and other great child safety tips, visit our Tip of the Month page.

If you haven't done it lately, please make sure to check the batteries in your smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors today!

Childproofing Tip of the Month: Heater Safety - With winters cold winds upon us, parents may start to consider placing a ceramic heater, space heater or other heating device in children's rooms and in other places around the home.  Please read this important information to help keep your little ones safe around heaters or other heating elements.

According to the National Fire Protection Association:

• Space heaters are the leading cause of home fires in the U.S. during the cold weather months.

• According to the National Fire Protection Association, space heaters were responsible for 26% of the home heating fires in 2003 but 73% of deaths.

• Space heaters pose a higher risk of fire and fire death than central heating.

Heating equipment can be used safely if you follow these recommendations from NFPA:

• When buying a new space heater, make sure it carries the mark of an independent testing laboratory, and be sure to have fixed space heaters installed by a qualified technician, according to manufacturer’s instructions or applicable codes. Or make sure a qualified technician checks to see that the unit has been properly installed.

• Keep or maintain a 36-inch clearance between space heaters and anything that can burn.

• Have wood and coal stoves, fireplaces, chimneys, chimney connectors and all other solid-fueled heating equipment inspected annually by a professional, and cleaned as often as inspections suggest. Use only wood that is properly seasoned to reduce creosote build-up.

• Make sure your fireplace has a sturdy screen to prevent sparks from flying into the room. Allow fireplace and woodstove ashes to cool before disposing in a metal container.

• Have any gas-fueled heating device installed with proper attention to ventilation. If unvented gas space heaters are used in bedrooms or bathrooms, make sure they are small and well-mounted. NFPA codes prohibit use of liquefied petroleum gas heaters with self-contained fuel supplies.

• Test smoke alarms monthly; install a carbon monoxide alarm in a central location outside each sleeping area.

NFPA has been a worldwide leader in providing fire, electrical, building, and life safety to the public since 1896. The mission of the international nonprofit organization is to reduce the worldwide burden of fire and other hazards on the quality of life by providing and advocating consensus codes and standards, research, training and education.

To see this and other great child safety tips, visit our Tip of the Month page.

If you haven't done it lately, please make sure to check the batteries in your smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors today!

Childproofing Tip of the Month: Kitchen Safety - Fall is upon us - there's nothing quite like the smell of a freshly baked pumpkin or apple pie to make those chilly fall evenings feel more comfortable. Did you know while your children may love to help you work in the kitchen, there are significant hazards to children in the kitchen? The kitchen can be the most hazardous room in the home for children. Take the time now to review the following kitchen safety tips:

• Secure your oven: Not only can children be injured by opening the oven door, but the stove/oven is also a tip hazard to children.  Check to make sure your oven has a tip-resistant bracket holding it to the floor or wall to prevent it from tipping onto your child.  If you don't have one, contact your oven manufacturer or local hardware store today for this simply installed piece of equipment that can help save lives.

• Lock up chemicals, plastic and sharp objects: Cleaning supplies, knives, even zip-closed plastic bags and the sharp edge of plastic wrap boxes can be hazardous to your little one.  Be sure to place all of these items in high, locked cupboards.

• Protect your little one with a baby safety gate: Installing a child safety gate in the doorway of your kitchen can be one of the easiest and most effective ways to protect children from dangers in the kitchen.

Please click here to view our entire line of Kitchen Safety items.
To see this and other great child safety tips, visit our Tip of the Month page.

If you haven't done it lately, please make sure to check the batteries in your smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors today!

Childproofing Tip of the Month: Vehicle Safety - With the hot summer days, you'll want to get out and enjoy the weather. Did you know that vehicle-related accidents are the number one killer of children? Each year, thousands of children are injured and/or killed due to vehicle accidents, including moving and non-moving vehicles. Take the time now to review our vehicle safety tips:

• Child Safety Seats: Make sure all children are secured in appropriate child safety seats or boosters at all times.  Even if you're only going around the block, children should be secured correctly in the car.  Have your child safety seats inspected by a professional to ensure they are properly installed.

• Never allow children to play on, in, or around vehicles.  Thousands of children die every year due to heat from being left unattended in stifling hot cars.  Children are also in danger of being hit by vehicles backing up and driving into driveways, etc.  Make sure all drivers are aware to check under, around, and behind their vehicles prior to driving.

• Use your vehicle's child safety door and window locks to help prevent your little one from unlocking doors or opening/closing windows when driving and when parked.

Please click here to view our entire line of Travel Safety items.

If you haven't done it lately, please make sure to check the batteries in your smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors today!

Childproofing Tip of the Month: Window Safety - Spring is in the air! With warmer weather approaching, you may be tempted to open windows to get some fresh air. Did you know that windows, even first story windows, can be dangerous to children? Each year, thousands of children are injured and/or killed due to falls out of windows and other window-related accidents. Take the time now to review our window safety tips:

• Windows (even first floor windows) pose a falling hazard to children. Children should not have access to open windows; windows that can be opened more than 4" are hazardous. Use childproofing window guards or window locks on all windows that may be opened.  

• Keep all windows closed and locked at all times and remove window crank handles from casement windows to help prevent children from opening them.  If you use a window fan or air conditioning unit, block access using a baby safety gate such as the Kidco Configure Gate.

• Window Blinds: Cords from window blinds should be kept out of children's reach. Although we prefer to see parents remove window blinds with cords from the home because they are a strangulation risk to children, they can easily be secured out of reach if removal is not possible. NEVER PLACE A CHILD'S CRIB OR BED NEAR THE WINDOW OR WINDOW BLINDS.  

• Special window locks can also be used to help secure windows from being opened. Check out our window safety products to secure your windows today.

If you haven't done it lately, please make sure to check the batteries in your smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors today!

Please click here to view our entire line of Window Safety items.

Childproofing Tip of the Month: Oven Safety - If you've been filling your house with the sweet smells of fresh baked pies, cookies, and cakes this winter, you are not alone.  But if you have small children in the house, now is the time to take a look at the safety of your kitchen - specifically your oven.  Did you know that ovens are a tipping hazard if children open the door or drawer and try to climb up them?  To help combat this problem, check to make sure your oven has a tip-resistant bracket installed.  Most brackets can be found if you look behind your oven at the floor level.  If no bracket is installed, contact your oven manufacturer or appliance store today and get one installed!

Oven locks that help prevent children from opening oven doors should also be installed to help prevent burns, and stove knob covers or locks can be used to help minimize the risk of your little helper turning on the stove.  Make sure to use the back burners of your stove to keep little ones from reaching up and pulling them down, and never cook over the stove while holding your little one.

If you haven't done it lately, please make sure to check the batteries in your smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors today!

Please click here to view our entire line of Kitchen Safety items.

Childproofing Tip of the Month: Electrical Safety - Along with cold winter weather comes many electrical hazards in the home for children and adults alike. Many families fire up electric heaters which can be a burn hazard to children and a fire hazard if tipped. To help prevent accidents, place heaters in places that children do not have access to, such as behind a gated area. Do not place heaters on table tops, dressers, or other furniture where children might pull on the cords and pull the heaters onto themselves.

If you have a Christmas tree in your home, Christmas trees are a main concern for fires and other electrical problems. Never overload your outlets and follow manufacturer instructions for electrical safety. Make sure to turn off/unplug all lights when you leave the room -- never leave lights on unattended.  Remember - little ones may try to chew on Christmas tree lights, or other lights in the home. Be sure to never leave your child alone in the room with electrical appliances.

If you haven't done it lately, please make sure to check the batteries in your smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors today!

Please click here to view our entire line of electrical safety items.

Childproofing Tip of the Month: Fireplace Safety - With fall's cooler temperatures, many people will begin enjoying the warmth of an indoor fireplace.  Babies and toddlers are often fascinated with fireplaces and should be kept away.  When enjoying your wood or gas fireplace this season, make sure to keep children away using a fireplace safety gate like the Kidco HearthGate.  Also, if you have a raised hearth with sharp edges and corners, try installing fireplace hearth padding to help prevent injuries.  There is also a product available called the Fireplace Door Guard to help keep fireplace doors closed when not in use.

If you haven't done it lately, please make sure to check the batteries in your smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors today!

Please click here to view our full line of fireplace safety items.

Childproofing Tip of the Month: Kitchen Safety - The kitchen is one of the most dangerous rooms in the house, if not the most dangerous room. The kitchen plays host to dozens of child safety culprits including knives, plastic bags, glass items, cleaners, and many other unsafe items. One of the best and most effective ways to childproof the kitchen is to install baby safety gates in the kitchen entrance to prevent children from entering the room. Remember that even if you use a gate to keep kids out of the kitchen, you should still move all cleaners and other poisons and sharp objects up to unreachable (and locked) cabinets or drawers. Never allow your child in the kitchen when you're cooking, or if someone else is cooking.

Please click here to view our full line of baby safety gates.
Please click here to view our full line of kitchen safety items.

Childproofing Tip of the Month: Furniture Safety -  Unstable and heavy furniture can tip over causing injuries and/or death in children. It is estimated that 8,000-10,000 children are injured each year due to tipping furniture and approximately 6 of these cases end in death. Furniture safety straps can help prevent furniture from tipping.

For more information regarding furniture safety, please visit our Guide to Furniture Safety.

Childproofing Tip of the Month: Gate Installation Kits - using a gate installation aid can help you create a mountable surface for a baby gate in spaces with baseboards, wrought iron railings, hollow walls, newel posts, and more! Install the gate installation aid first, then mount the baby gate into the gate installation kit.

Need more information about baby gates? Check out our Guide to Baby Safety Gates today!

View our full line of babyproofing products

Guide To Baby Safety Gates - Childproofing Checklist - Ask the Babyproofer - Outlet Safety In Your Home - Car Seat Safety Information