Share the things you never thought you’d need to childproof for - £200 voucher to be won

[GraceEMumsnet]

Created for Duracell

What unexpected things have you child-proofed in your home? Whatever measures you’ve employed (however surprising!) we’d like to hear about them.

• Post your stories in the thread below to be entered into a prize draw
• One lucky MNer will win a £200 voucher for a store of their choice

Here’s what Duracell has to say:
“Every year, hundreds of children accidentally ingest lithium coin cell batteries, which can have devastating and even fatal consequences if they do not receive medical attention immediately. Duracell is calling on parents across the country to #Take10 minutes to search their house for the 10 most common devices that take coin cell batteries and check those batteries are secure and not able to be accessed by children.”

Thanks and good luck!

MNHQ

Insight Terms and Conditions apply

The fish tank. The amount of toys we’ve had to rescue out if it is ridiculous!

I have had to child-proof the dogs sleeping crate (which is his safe place and he loves to go there when there are games afoot with DS1 and 2) I have had to fit a child lock on the door once he is in - or he has visitors sleeping with him (he lets me know when he has had enough downtime - and can cope again the the mayhem of family life) .

Christmas baubles. DS picked up a handpainted Snow White bauble from Disneyland that was beautiful and crushed it in the palm of his hand at around age 2. I was furious! Never thought he'd do anything other than throw and roll them- both of which it would've survived!

The letterbox - he kept trying to post things out!

We had to buy an external wall-monted letterbox!

Rice and cocoa-liked to climb up to the cupboard and then they got thrown on the floor. I think it was the feel of them.

@Marelle

Honestly I haven’t childproofed anything. I just discipline my child and supervise him adequately. If he does something he’s not supposed to, I see him doing it and stop him.

I didn't childproof for no.1 & 2, but no.3 is just on another level. Not childproofing doesn't make you superior, just lucky.

The extension roof.

Tampons.

Garden plant pots - my 2 year old managed to break one and then Split open his hand 🤦🏻‍♀️

DVD stack, fireplace because of he was a climber, dvd player from biscuits, work from home digital phone. We had to put them out of reach, and block off the access to stop him climbing.

The fuse box.
Because repeatedly flicking the main switch for the house trips the house alarm. It sounds like a fire engine apparently.

And the toilet lid. After having an entire 2l bottle of bubble bath poured down it in one go the resulting foam could be carved into shape.

Both the same child.

Child one was very calm and we didn't have to Child proof at all. Child 2 has a much sunnier disposition but also loves to make mischief. We had ties on all the cupboard doors and drawers shut as he just loved getting in them and taking things out to make a shop or to make dinner or just for the sheer joy of clattering pans on the floor. Child locks didn't fit on the handles. Unfortunately Child 1 then decided in a fit of rage when she couldn't undo the cupboard to pull on the ribbons we had used and managed to pull the door of the hinges.

We ended up getting rid of the toy box as Child 2 likes to climb in it and close the lid which is fine until Child 1 sit on the lid and won't let Child 2 out even (especially) when he starts screaming.

I wish I could Child proof my raspberry canes and strawberry plants as Child 2 loves them fresh from the bushes. I ate just one of my raspberries this year. Bird proofing them was not enough. I need to only vegetables in future, they consider green beans and tomatoes to be poison.

Garden plants. If the slugs don't get them, the toddler does... ☹

Tissues..... my two have an obsession with finding them and ripping them all up into a million tiny pieces.

The big bag of dry cat food which just makes for a fun environment to rummage in.

The pan cupboard! My pans and colourful mixing bowls end up spread all over the floor in a neat row daily. And the child lock has broken on the cupboard next to it now so there's usually tins of soup and beans stacked high next to the pans 😑 who knew they were so fun

Another vote for sudocream here - I still have the photos from when DD decided that you're never to young to start a full facial and arms and legs routine

@Marelle

Honestly I haven’t childproofed anything. I just discipline my child and supervise him adequately. If he does something he’s not supposed to, I see him doing it and stop him.

This was my first, my second was a tike.

My favourites are putting the cucumber we were due to have in our salad for dinner into the freezer! I didn't realise until I wanted to use it! And climbing up the ladder the builder had put up to climb onto the roof. I had left DC playing quietly in the lounge while I got on with housework around him. Turned my back for 2 seconds to hear the builder calling me "what do I do 1st respond to the builder or go look for DC2" as I'm going in and out of rooms looking for the tike. The builder's calls become more frantic so I poke my head out the back door and there's DC2 at the top of the ladder "talking" to the builder who doesn't dear move in case DC2 decides to sit down into thin air! All fours were locked and bolted after that incident!

Tissues, who doesn't love the texture of those things in your mouth 😬

Putting the bath plug high and out of reach. He can climb into the bath and turn on the taps but cant climb out.

It was a bad move letting him see the Jungle Book Disney film.
From then on anything that could be swung on from was. Curtains, blinds, door handles, tall animals and next doors beautifully cared for row of sunflowers.
He goes rock climbing now !

My glasses. Have been forced to wear contacts far more than I’d like for years because of small hands ripping them off my face, bending them out of shape, and somehow nipping their own fingers. All while I’m blindly trying to grab the things back.
Once turned to find my 2 year old climbing the curtains to catch a bumblebee 🤷‍♀️

The in-laws' bidet.
What a flood!

The Christmas Tree, I was baffled that there was no such thing as a tree guard on the whole wide web when DS was 7 months old and decided that the lights on the tree were pretty and pulled the whole thing down. Twice!

We had to get creative and used the baby jail play pen we had 😁