Keep Kids Safe Without Breaking Lease

The other day my friend’s 4-year-old stood on a chair to reach a toy that was on top of the television. The child somehow managed to topple the TV onto himself, cracking his head open. Luckily for him, the injury, though serious, did not cause permanent harm.

According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, more children die every year in home accidents than from all childhood diseases combined. Most of these accidents are preventable with adequate supervision and some child-proofing.

But renters aren’t used to making home improvements, so changing an apartment to make it safer seems difficult. They also have to worry about security deposits and whether landlords allow holes in walls.

The TV is a perfect example. Front-heavy TV sets are common hazards for young climbers because they tip over so easily. A homeowner might strap a TV set to the wall, but a renter has to be more creative to avoid making unnecessary holes in the wall. Putting the TV in a cabinet or strapping it to a table might be a better solution in a rented home.

With a little creativity, however, renters can and should take the time to make their homes safe for their kids.

* Put yourself in their booties.

When the baby arrives, it’s hard to imagine what’s dangerous. Sometimes it takes getting down on your hands and knees and crawling through your home. You can’t miss that pointy table corner when it’s at eye level.

Many child-proofing products, including electrical outlet covers, cabinet locks, toilet locks and window blind cord wind-ups, are available in department and toy stores.

You can also talk to consultants and representatives of companies that specialize in child-proofing for advice that can save you time and money in the long run, especially if you aren’t sure which products are renter-friendly.

In general, watch out for products that use adhesives for installation. The adhesives may end up costing you your security deposit if they pull chunks of paint off your walls upon removal. But I found that some of the adhesive products are still handy for renters.

Cord holders, for example, are plastic tubes that wrap around electrical cords, preventing crawlers from getting zapped if they think the cords look like good teething rings. They come with adhesive strips that you can use to attach them to baseboards. But the holders work fine without the adhesives, or you can stick them to your furniture instead of to walls.

You may be forced to make some holes while child-proofing your home. But before you do, talk to your landlord about his or her policy. Most aren’t that strict, and others tell you upfront that they deduct a certain amount of money per hole from your deposit.

If you must drill, find products that you can install in out-of-sight places, as is the case with many cabinet locks. Your landlord probably won’t notice the hidden holes.

* Leave the gymnastics for the gym.

Some kids are just looking for trouble, and stairs are the most obvious risk for your budding gymnasts. Renters may think pressure gates are good on stairs because they don’t require any drilling. But beware!

Pressure gates aren’t strong enough to hold back a determined pushing child from taking a tumble. You need a gate that comes with hardware, but you don’t want to make a bunch of holes in the posts if you can help it.

Mark Altman, who founded the Childproofer, a child-proofing mail-order catalog company and consulting business (800-374-2525, https://www.childproofer.com), has an easy solution to the problem.

He suggests securing chunks of wood to the staircase’s posts or railings with strong cable ties. Then you can drill into the wood instead of the staircase. When you move, you simply cut the ties to remove the gate.

* Don’t forget your windows and balcony.

The death of Eric Clapton’s son sensitized many parents to the potential dangers posed by windows. But many folks don’t know that a child can fall out a window that is open only 5 inches. Short of moving to the first floor, what can renters do?

If the window glass is new and sturdy, you may opt to keep accessible windows closed or locked. But if you’re wary about the window pane strength, you can use the same hardware gates that are made for staircases to keep children from falling out of windows. To ensure that you install the gates properly, I recommend talking to a licensed contractor or a child-proofing consultant.

Balcony slats are often wide enough for small children to squeeze through. You can install special plastic netting around your balcony, like the transparent banister netting that comes with ties and fasteners available from Childproofers USA, another mail-order child-proofing catalog ([617] 975-0000, https://www.childproofing.com).

* Can’t make it safe? Then keep them out.

If you can’t figure out how to childproof something in your home, then your best bet is just keeping the kids away. You can close off rooms by locking doors. But if the area you want to restrict is in your living room or kitchen, you need to use another method.

I used a Gerry Kiddie Yard around my antique stove that had dangerous gas knobs within my child’s reach. I like the Kiddie Yard because it stands well on its own without any installation.

It consists of latticed panels made of sturdy plastic and wood. The panels can be hooked together to form a free-standing pen or can be zigzagged in a variety of shapes and attached to walls and furniture for support. You can also tie more than one Kiddie Yard together to block off a larger space.

Restricting access to the danger zones in your house is just the beginning, though. Supervision is always the best preventive measure against accidents in your home.

Leta Herman is a syndicated columnist based in Alameda. Questions on any aspect of apartment living can be addressed to lherman@ccnet.com or to Leta Herman, care of Inman News Features, 1250 45th St. Suite 360, Emeryville, CA 94608.

Distributed by Inman News Features.