Yesterday at the park, my three-year-old went down the tall, silver slide ten times, landing safely at the bottom each time. Then, on her eleventh run, she stuck her foot out for some unknown reason. The rubber sole of her shoe caught the edge of the slide, spinning her sideways and throwing her over the edge. It happened so fast, I couldn't have stopped it if I wanted to. Thankfully, she was fine.

Accidents happen. They happen fast, and sometimes, they happen when we're standing right there. There's no way to prevent every bump and bruise of childhood, nor do I think that we should try. Bruised knees, after all, are a sign of an active, happy kid. But when it comes to more serious injuries, there are steps we as parents can take to keep our kids safe.

CNN has a list of several child-proofing ideas that you might not have thought of -- keeping coins off your nightstand, putting your razor up after shaving in the tub, and keeping a medication schedule when your child is sick, so the other parent doesn't accidentally double-dose, for instance.


All good advice, I think, except for the one that says kids don't belong in the kitchen while you're making dinner. If I didn't let my kids in the kitchen, who would wash the potatoes? I think kids and cooking can safely mix, you just have to be really vigilant.

Do you have any favorite child-proofing tips to share?