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Some parents get a false sense of security with all the little gadgets to protect children, and forget that you still have to keep a constant eye on them.
After having a child, most parents go through the routine of putting outlet covers on all electrical outlets, locks on the cupboards, safety gates on all stairways and even a lock on the refrigerator and on the toilet. These devices are great for preventing accidents around the home, but they are not foolproof.
When you put up a safety device, make sure you child isn't watching. Little children learn things very fast. Here's one example. While at his Grandparents house, one toddler watched his grandmother put an outlet protector in, and that was all it took for him to figure out they could just as easily be removed. She had just finished putting the last one in and went into the kitchen, when the boy walked in and presented her with a handful of outlet protectors. Kids are fast. Parents need to be faster.
The bathroom is one of the most dangerous rooms in the house for a child, because parents forget that children like to play in water, and what's in a toilet? It looks to a child to be a great place to float a toy.
People don't realize that if their child drops something in there then goes to get it out, they can fall head first in there and the smooth surface can be too slick for the child to get his head back out of the water.
Another danger is heavy high profile dressers, TV carts, microwave stands etc. All it takes for some of these things to fall is a slight tug. When my daughter was 3, I had put a tall dresser in her room, and she went to open the top drawer, and it almost fell on her. It's best to secure it to the wall if you're able to do so. If not, either remove the dresser, or put shims under the front so it leans more toward the wall. Give it a test. Pull on it rock it, practically climb on it. If it doesn't tip with all of that, you should be fine, but always remember, "When in doubt, ship it out" If you don't feel the dresser is safe, then get it out of the child's room.
With outdoor play, you have to watch your toddler even closer. It's very difficult to childproof the natural environment. Kids will find rocks, insects, and just about anything that's hiding in the lawn, even fertilizer granules. When your child's outside, make sure your there to supervise them at all times.
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