The blinds industry has been depicted in multiple slants over the years. On one hand, we’ve seen it painted in a hugely positive light because of the advancements in technology and different types of products that have been released. On another, we’ve heard some absolutely tragic stories of children being strangled to death by the cords that allow these window treatments to function.
In response to the above tragedies, manufacturers have released products which are deemed to be much safer due to their cordless nature. However, what about those nurseries which already have a new set of blinds up, which happens to use cords? What about that nursery with the cartoon blinds, which your little one can’t bear to see the back of? While we won’t dispute the fact that the best answer always will be a cordless set of blinds, there are other ways to at least make the room safer with a traditional set. Fortunately, these adjustments rarely cost a dime – or very little money at least.
For example, taking the time to move furniture away from the windows is perhaps one of the easiest yet most effective ways to protect your little ones. While that chest of drawers might fit in seamlessly just below the window, it also acts as a perfect climbing frame. It will allow your toddler to get up close and personal with your blinds and if cords are around, it goes without saying that this is exactly what you don’t want to happen.
Before you even consider moving the furniture around, you should make sure that all cords are out of the way anyway. Your window treatment might not be classed as cordless, but for the sake of your son or daughter it has to be treated this way. In other words, you need to hide and disguise those cords by any possible means – putting them completely out of sight. This can be made easier through something like a cord cleat, which allows the cords to be wrapped around it. If it’s placed nice and high, it should be comfortably out of reach for those little hands.
One suggestion which isn’t quite as obvious relates to the cord stops. Most of us don’t even realize these exist; but they are there to preserve the cord and stop it getting lost in the head rail. The problems begin when these cord stops are positioned incorrectly, as they can work the other way and allow too much cord to be showing. We don’t need to highlight the dangers that these pose, so make sure that the knot which positions the cord stop is in an appropriate position – preferably near the head rail.
As you can see, you really don’t have to spend the earth to improve the safety of your child’s nursery. Cordless blinds are always going to be the best solution, but if for whatever reason you can’t install a new set, there’s no reason why a traditional set of blinds can’t be made safe for your little one through simple tricks.