How you wish to childproof your guest bedrooms and baths depends on your child’s roaming. If you feel, as many do, that it is good for him to experience as much of his environment at home as is practical; you will let him explore rooms in your home that may not always be in use.

Take the same precautions in these rooms as you would in more used rooms; the same hazards exist; use electrical outlet covers, cover boxes, cord wraps, vertical cords raised, etc. Even though you are supervising this exploration, we still want to keep the NO’s down to a minimum and save them for something that really is important.

Toilet seat latches, cabinet and drawer latches should all be set up in bathrooms. Night lights are a nice touch if you have guests who may not be familiar with their surroundings and searching for a light switch in a dark bathroom.

Advise overnight guests, especially elderly guests, of what your toddler is capable of getting into. Advise them that their medications should be stored up high and not on low night stands and tables. If they have been away from younger children for a while, maybe a few of the extra little precautions that must be taken around small children have been forgotten. They should appreciate your mentioning it and realize your concern.

Today’s awareness of hazards for toddlers and the results of a momentary lapse of attention are much greater than when your parents were raising you. How long have car seats been a fact of life for parents of young children? Twenty years ago you could hardly find one to buy at all.