Kid Safety: Keep Cords Out Of Little Hands

Out of Sight Is Good Safety Start

Among the biggest kid-safety hazards in your home and when kids are visiting family members or friends are those long dangling (and tempting) cords on window shade and blinds. Here are tips for keeping cords out of little hands from Levelor:

• Never leave children unattended with access to windows or window blinds.
Tragedies resulting from playing with those long cords can happen within a matter of minutes. Parents visiting others' homes should be particularly safety conscious of cords--especially in homes where young children may not reside or regularly visit.


• Consider cordless blinds in nurseries, children's bedrooms, and playrooms.



• Keep cribs away from corded blinds and draperies.
Be sure a curious child or infant can't touch and then perhaps yank down a window treatment, with potentially dangerous results.


• Hang your blind's cords on a hook out of a child's reach.
This is a simple and inexpensive solution to a potential danger.


• Lock cords into position when lowering horizontal window blinds or shades.



• Use cord shorteners on blinds with long cords.

Safety-conscious parents should also inspect homes of their child's grandparents and in-home care centers to ensure cords are out of sight, out of touch, and hopefully, out of mind.