Hazardous Waste
"After cleaning the shower, without thinking I tossed a disposable razor into the wastebasket in the bathroom. My twelve-month-old had just started to walk, and a short time later I found him there on the floor, with the razor in his mouth. Fortunately, he didn't cut himself, but I don't even want to think about what could've happened."
--Jamie, Merced, CA
How to stay safe:
Before you throw anything away, consider whether it would be dangerous if your child got his hands on it. When you have a tot who's just started to walk, everything becomes a risk, even if you assume it's safely discarded. And at 12 months and even up to 4 years, your child doesn't yet understand potential dangers. To him, a razor blade seems like a new toy. So if the item could possibly be harmful -- like a plastic bag (a suffocation risk) or a small object (a choking hazard) -- throw it away in an inaccessible trash can, one that's in a locked cabinet or in a room blocked off by a baby gate.
