How do you make a rental safe for a curious and climbing toddler?

[Taurean]

DD (26 mths) is one fine climber, possibly Spiderman's love child Since around 18 months, she's managed to climb most things she shouldn't such as her change table (in her sleeping bag ), windowsills, our Ikea cubed shelving unit and her Boori bookshelf to name a few. Thankfully we attached all the shelving units to the walls long before the climbing spree commenced so she was never injured, phew!

Anyway, the climbing has calmed down a bit (it's generally just at playgrounds, etc now) but we've just moved into a rental while our new house is being built and understandably, we are unable to secure furniture to the wall. DH has managed to secure a few things with rope to existing picture frames (classy but it works!) however the chest of draws with DD's new bedroom suite can't be secured. I've bought locks to stick on the draws so she can't pull them open but we are nervous that she'll somehow pull it down on herself. It is unlikely as she hasn't tried to climb her nursery tallboy (we have the draws secured on that too) but I guess we are just considering the 'what ifs'.

How do other renters with curious toddlers make your rented home as safe possible? Especially furniture that can be climbed?? We have a gate across the kitchen and various kiddy locks on draws and doors but any other tips would be appreciated. We also still use our sound and movement monitor so we know when DD is out of bed (the alarm goes off) but the new baby will be getting that in approximately 2 months so we won't have that trick up our sleeve going forward.

One final thing, any idea what age the 'climbing random things' novelty wears off?!

[Beach Mama]

I have no real help but wondered if a play pen fence around the dangerous things like the tall boy and other heavy furniture that could fall on her could be totally fenced off? Total PITA but it is something I am paranoid about as well after reading a story a few years ago of a piece of furniture falling on a little one. How long will you be in the rental? Could you talk to the landlord and tell them your concerns and that you will patch up holes and repaint afterwards?? Hope someone else has some more useful suggestions for you.

[Kmn]

Can you move the drawers into another room that you can shut the door on? The less climbable stuff in her bedroom the better.

[Cranky Kitten]

I'd second Kmn's idea - shift the particularly heavy climbable furniture into your room if there's space, or a spare room where the door can be closed for peace of mind. They do eventually grow out of it, or at least redirect the climbing to playgrounds and such like - give her plenty of opportunities to climb in ways that are acceptable.

Funnily enough DD's favourite thing to climb when she was at that stage was my bed. Massive 4 poster with an ensemble on top so it was high enough that I had to half climb up into (and I'm 5' 11" tall) it must've been like Mt Everest to her...

[Now we're 3]

Hey Taurean this might sound really silly but would putting some heavy items such as books in the bottom drawer help as this would mean she simply wouldn't have the strenght to pull it on top of herself? You've said the drawers are secured which means she can't climb but the weight might prevent another type of accident. Just and idea. Good luck x

[LimeSlice]

You can get wedges from the hardware store. They are like shims that go under the fronts of bookcases etc, so that they are essentially leaning back. It means that they can't pull them forward with their own weight. Worth a try I would think.

The other thing is to ask the owners permission to bracket the furniture to the walls. Make sure you offer to fill and repaint the holes when you move out. Again, worth a try!

GL

[Taurean]

Thanks for all the suggestions. Sorry it's taken me so long to reply!

Lime - those wedges sound like the go for us. I'll suss that out. As for filling and painting the walls, that would be a big job even if the owners allowed it. The walls are a soft mushroom colour throughout so we'd have to paint the entire wall where a bracket had been.

So far she's been really good and hasn't tried to climb any of the tallboy dressers. I think the safety locks on the draws have definitely helped and she seems more than happy climbing all over her beds (her toddler bed and the new big girl bed).

[YoYo]

Taurean, as a landlord I'd completely understand if a tenant needed to do such thing to provide a safe environment. As long as it is 'made good' then it shouldn't matter. Maybe just ask?

[Taurean]

Taurean, as a landlord I'd completely understand if a tenant needed to do such thing to provide a safe environment. As long as it is 'made good' then it shouldn't matter. Maybe just ask?

Thanks Yules. I might have a chat to the agent. DD's been absolutely fine but there is always that feeling off 'what if' in the back of my mind.

[Rivlas]

DD2 was a climber also which she never grew out of.
We had big boxes with areas cut out, like a cubby, which they had to climb in and out of and this helped a bit. Maybe one of those tunnels would be good.
If you can afford it get her something that she can climb or hang from for Christmas, a swing set with a hanging thing is good.
By the way, a natural climber hardly ever falls, it's the others who think they can climb like your DD that do fall.

[LimeSlice]

That reminds me, we got Bump one of the green dome climbing frame things from Bunnings for Christmas the year she turned 2, absolutely LOVED it - still does. Has been one of the best present we havew ever bought her in terms of longevity and usefullness. Cost about $120 I think from memory?

[Erin_25]

The wedge things sound good, shall look into them too. We are also in a rental and DS2 was climbing up on the table before he could walk.

My DS1 was trying to get something off the top of his chest of draws and pulled it onto him self, scary part was it was in a corner so fell on him across the doorway blocking it so I could only just open the door. That was scary, lucky it's only a cheap one and not too solid as all the draws came open we could push it back up to get him out - could have been much worse.

[emc2]

I live in government housing, and what is good was they got me a new stove. The stove was 20 years old and I'd been here long enough to "qualify" according to the contractor lol. It was working but quite erratically.

Anyway the good thing is not only it is secured to the wall with brackets but also through a bolt in the front - through the tiled floor.

There's no way it can tip over.

Yes so my point is with climbing - appliances are another one to be careful of.