Blinds Chalet's cordless blinds offer safety for young children

Eliminating the dangers of cords around babies and young children is one of the child-proofing steps that parents should take for their youngsters' safety and their own peace of mind.

Blinds Chalet offers a number of cordless window treatments that hide the cord within the window blinds.

"Kid friendly blinds include shutters, cordless blinds, motorized blinds, or vertical blinds that have a single wand operator," according to the company website.

Other child-proofing methods recommended by SafeBeginnings.com include window guards to prevent entry or exit by a child while the windows are open during warmer weather. They work best for double-hung windows, but there are styles to match sliding or crank-style windows as well. Guards are recommended for any window that is above ground level, allowing one window to have a device that allows a quick escape in an emergency.

Window latches and locks also protect children by preventing a window from being pushed open beyond 4 inches, the maximum child-safe distance, according to the child-proofing website.

Also, furniture that can be easily climbed by a child should not be placed near windows. Window screens won't prevent them from falling through windows because they cannot hold the weight of a child who pushes against them.