Children will learn to :

• walk - first holding on to furniture and walking sideways and then eventually letting go
• pick up and eat finger food
• crawl up stairs and try to climb furniture or other objects
• squat to pick up toys or reach for interesting objects
• push or pull toys or other objects while walking
• imitate you
• avoid danger when you say "no”, "don't touch” or "hot”

Children still like to :

• put things in their mouths
• play in the water
• take things out of containers

• Keep safety gates at the top and bottom of stairs and make sure they're in good shape. Do not use a pressure gate at the top of the stairs — they can fall over if your child leans on them.
• Use a gate that is made for the purpose of blocking stairs and follow the manufacturer's instructions when installing it.
• Keep toys, bumper pads and larger stuffed animals out of the crib so your child won't stand on them and risk falling out.
• Move your child into a toddler bed before he or she tries to climb out of the crib.
• Keep furniture away from windows or balconies — your child might climb on them and fall out.
• Make sure windows and balcony doors have safety guards so that your child can't open them more than four inches (10 centimetres) or keep them closed and locked. Screens will not keep a child from falling out.
• Keep your child away from playground equipment at this age.

• Follow the manufacturer's instructions and your vehicle manual to make sure the car seat is fastened snugly. Buckle your child into the car seat carefully for every ride.
• Keep your child in a rear-facing position for as long as possible.
• Use a rear-facing car seat until your child weighs at least 20 pounds (nine kilograms) and is at least 12 months old. Use a rear-facing seat for longer than this if the manufacturer's instructions indicate that this is possible.
• When you move your child to a forward-facing car seat, this car seat must have a tether strap that goes from the back of the car seat (top) to a bolt in the rear window area of your car. Be sure the tether strap is attached to the bolt that is directly behind the car seat. Call your car dealership if you can't find the bolt.
• If your child gets too tall for the car seat before they weigh 40 pounds (18 kilograms) you will need to move your child into a special type of combination car seat / booster seat. Your child is considered too tall for the car seat if the middle of your child's ear is higher than the back of the car seat.
• Always read and follow the manufacturer's instructions included with the car seat.
• Never put the car seat in front of, or beside an airbag.
• Remember that your child is safest in the back seat of the car.
• Soft toys will help keep your child happy in the car.

• Make sure all pot handles are turned in toward the back of the stove and that cords are not left dangling over the edge of the counter.
• Use the back burners on the stove whenever possible to avoid little fingers reaching up and touching hot elements. Keep your child out of the kitchen!
• Keep electrical cords rolled up and away from counter edges. Your child might pull on the cord and pull down something hot that could burn or scald him / her. Scalds are the most common type of burn to young children, and make up more than half of all children's burn injuries.
• To keep your child from putting things into electrical outlets replace regular electrical outlet covers with spring-loaded covers that hide the socket when they are not in use. Or use screw-on plug covers or durable, snug fitting, flexible outlet caps with existing outlet covers.
• Use placemats, not tablecloths. Your child may pull on a tablecloth to stand up, pulling everything down on him or her.
• Cover sharp corners on furniture and make sure portable heaters, wood stoves and fireplaces are blocked off to prevent burns.
• Do not eat or drink anything hot while holding your child. He / she could knock it out of your hand and might get scalded or burned. Or use a cup with a lid that snaps on tight when you drink hot liquids like coffee or tea.

• Keep anything that is poisonous, such as medicines or cleaning and polishing materials, locked up or out of reach.
• Remember that there are some plants, such as mistletoe, clematis and red philodendron, that are poisonous.
• If you suspect your child has swallowed something dangerous, or if you need more information, call :
• The Ontario Regional Poison Information Centre, Hospital for Sick Children at 416-813-5900 or toll free 1-800-268-9017 or
• The Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario at 613-737-1100 or toll free 1-800-267-1373.

• Make sure that food is cut into small pieces so your child can't choke on it. Foods with smooth or slick surfaces that are round in shape, semi-soft and about the same size as your thumb are particularly dangerous (e.g., hot dogs cut into coins). These foods should be cut lengthwise.
• Be extra careful with raw fruits and vegetables too (e.g., whole grapes and carrots).
• Your child should sit in a high chair when eating.
• Never let your child play with balloons without watching him / her.
• Keep cords for blinds or curtains tied up well out of reach so that your child can't get them caught around his or her neck.
• Make sure toys meet Canadian government safety standards and have no detachable parts. Call the Health Canada Product Safety office nearest you for information (see the list of phone numbers located on the resource page of this website).

• Toddlers can drown in as little as two inches (five centimetres) of water, and they can't call for help. So stay within arm's reach of your child at all times when he or she is in the bath or near any water. Children enjoy bath time so much that they will look for any opportunity to play in water.
• Never take your eyes off your child when he or she is outside. Backyard pools, buckets, open ditches and ponds can all be dangerous.
• If you have a backyard pool, make sure it is fenced in on all four sides and has a self-closing latch on the gate.
• When the bathroom is not being used, keep bathroom doors locked on the outside with a latch that is out of your child's reach.
• If you are using laundry tubs, buckets or the bathtub for laundry, be sure to drain the water when you are finished. Never leave your child alone around water. Keep the laundry room locked on the outside with a latch your child can't reach.
• Children under five should never be put in a "hot tub” — not even with an adult. Hot tubs are too hot for young children, may have high bacteria, and the drain in the tub can trap children.

© Queen's Printer for Ontario, 2002  |  Privacy Policy  |  Disclaimers  |   Last Modified :