Are Your Window Coverings Safe for Your Child?

As a parent, child safety is often a top concern. Plantation shutters are safer than vertical blinds (no cords that hang and can strangle a child).

Better Yet… replace older corded window blinds, shades and draperies with today’s safer products.  And use only cordless window coverings in homes with infants and young children.

Move all cribs, beds, furniture and toys away from windows and window cords, preferably to another wall.

Make sure that tasseled pull cords are as short as possible.

Continuous-loop cords on draperies and vertical blinds should be permanently anchored to the floor or wall.

Keep all window cords well out of the reach of children. Eliminate any dangling cords.

Check that cord stops are properly installed and adjusted to limit the movement of inner lift cords.

When they’re thinking about childproofing their home, the last thing on most parents’ minds is making sure the window treatments are safe. Unfortunately, some window treatments can be dangerous for children and even pets. Here are a few child safety considerations for window treatments to think about before you invest in new ones.

1.Type of window treatment

Not every type of window treatment is entirely kid-friendly. Putting up pleated shades in rooms your children may spend any alone time in, such as their bedrooms, playrooms, and bathrooms, isn’t recommended. Investing in top- and bottom-open shades in rooms your children may spend significant time in—even supervised—is also unwise. Children can accidentally open, get tangled in, or fall into these types of shades. Bottom-up shade openings keep shades out of reach of your little ones, thus keeping them safer.

2.Furniture placement

Adults often like to situate their beds near a large bedroom window. Natural light is welcoming, and it helps you wake up more energized. So, naturally, many parents set up their children’s rooms in a similar fashion. This is great for older kids, but for young children, setting up their cribs or beds away from windows is crucial to avoiding accidental injuries and damage. Even babies can reach up and grab a window treatment, so keeping all cords, slats, and curtains well out of reach is best practice.

3.Cord hazards

If you have children around, opting for cordless window treatments are always best. Corded window treatments can be made more kid-friendly with the addition of tapes, security features, and additional safety measures, but they still pose a choking and strangulation risk for young children. If your household has kids, look for cordless or motorized shades. This way, you can control the shades and eliminate risk of injury to your little ones.

If you’re looking to fully childproof your home and you’ve noticed you may need new window treatments, check out our massive selection of safety shades.