Parents of twins should be extra vigilant and perform twinproofing of their home because twins have a way of giving each other ideas. Twins also help each other to get into restricted areas that one baby alone could not have ventured into by herself. Some ideas to help you get started with twinproofing your home include:
- Safety gates for the top and bottom of staircases
- Doorknob covers
- Electric outlet covers
- Window blind cords secured out of reach
- All nursery furniture far from windows to prevent falls and from getting caught in hanging window blind cords or draperies
- Hot water heater set so that water coming out of the faucet is no more than 120°F to reduce risk of scald burns
- Dressers and bookshelves secured to the wall with anti-tip devices
Always remember that even the best childproofing gadgets are no substitute for direct supervision of your twins. Do not be fooled into a false sense of security just because you have childproofed your home with all the right equipment—dangerous things can still happen. And certain household features are difficult to twinproof, requiring parents to be watchful and vigilant. For example, a simple bedroom door can cause problems. For a time, my twin boys enjoyed a gleeful but dangerous game in which they would each push on opposite sides of the same door. A foam guard didn’t work at these locations, so we had to watch the boys vigilantly and guide them appropriately.