Most parents childproof the obvious things first: outlets, stairs, cabinets with cleaning products. Windows and doors tend to come later, because they feel like part of the house rather than a hazard in it. Yet a window is one of the few places where a curious toddler can get from a safe room to a real drop in seconds, and a door is how a quiet child ends up outside alone.
In Canada, falls are the leading cause of injury related hospital stays for children, and window falls are among the most preventable. Almost every fix below is inexpensive, and most take less than an afternoon.
A window screen is not a safety device
The most common misunderstanding is that a closed screen will hold a child. It will not. Screens are built to keep insects out and are held in place by small clips or a light frame. A toddler leaning on one can push it straight out. Treat any open window with a screen as an open window.
Keep climbable furniture away from windows
Children rarely fall from a window they cannot reach. They fall from one they climbed up to. Look at what sits under or beside each window:
- Beds, cribs, bunk beds and toddler beds
- Sofas, armchairs and window seats
- Dressers, toy boxes and bookshelves
- Step stools left behind after cleaning or decorating
Move anything a child could climb away from the window. Bedrooms need the most attention, because children spend time in them unsupervised, often right after waking up.
Limit how far windows open
Window stops prevent a window from opening more than about 10 centimetres, or roughly 4 inches. That lets fresh air in and is too narrow for a child to fit through. They are available for sliding, hung and crank style windows.
- Fit them on every operable window above the ground floor, not only in the nursery.
- Choose stops an adult can release quickly, because every bedroom still needs a way out in a fire.
On windows where the upper sash slides down, opening the top instead of the bottom keeps the gap above a child’s reach. On crank windows, store the handle out of reach.
Replace corded blinds
Looped and long hanging cords on blinds and shades can wrap around a young child’s neck. Safety regulators in both Canada and the United States advise families with young children to choose cordless window coverings. Until you can replace them, cut looped cords, secure cords high on the wall, and keep cribs and beds away from any covering with a cord.
Sliding patio doors
Make the glass visible. To a running toddler, a clean glass door can look like an open doorway. Decals at a child’s eye level prevent collisions.
Add a lock they cannot reach. The standard latch sits at adult hand height and is often simple enough for a preschooler to open. A secondary lock high on the frame, or a foot lock at the bottom, adds a step a young child cannot manage.
Check the track and latch. An older slider that sticks, jumps its track or never fully latches is both a pinching risk and a door that may not stay closed. Have it repaired or replaced.
Alarm doors that lead to water. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission’s pool safety guidance recommends alarms on doors that give children direct access to a pool.
Front doors
Many toddlers learn to turn a door handle long before they understand why they should not go outside alone. A few changes make the front door harder to open quietly:
- A secondary lock or latch mounted high on the door, above a child’s reach
- A door chime or alarm that sounds whenever the door opens
- A door that latches fully on its own every time it is closed
[Image placement: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1tueQh_HGN3cyBsKVMxeB0Fio2kSs45l5/view. Suggested alt text: Wooden front entry door with tall glass sidelites on a modern brick home.]
That last point is easy to overlook. An older door that sticks, sags or needs a push to latch is a door that will sometimes be left open without anyone noticing. If yours no longer closes cleanly, it may be time to replace it, and it is worth looking at current entry doors with stronger, easier locking hardware. You can see the full range of styles and locking options before deciding what suits your home.
A five minute checklist
Walk through your home with this list now, and again each time your child starts climbing or reaching higher:
- No climbable furniture under or beside any window
- Window stops on every operable window above the ground floor
- Every adult knows how to release the stops
- Cordless window coverings, or cords secured out of reach
- Decals and a high secondary lock on sliding glass doors
- An alarm on any door that opens toward a pool
- A high lock and a chime on the front door, and a door that latches on its own
None of these replace supervision, but together they stop the most common window and door accidents before they can happen, and they keep working while you are in the next room.
