How to Make Lamp Cords Safe for Children

Toddlers see a lamp cord as a way of pulling themselves up to a standing position. What they don't realize of course is that, in pulling themselves up, they stand a good chance of pulling the lamp over on top of themselves.

Here are some things you can do to prevent cords like this from causing injuries to children. Start at the wall by installing a plug and outlet cover, very easy. Just unplug any cords and remove the center screw. Remove the screw from the wall plate and then attach the plug and cover base with the longer screw that comes with it. Insert the plug and snap on the cover.

Next, install a cord shortener. These come with pressure-sensitive adhesive strips on the back. Just peel off the protective backing, press the cord shortener in place near the outlet, wind up the extra cord and snap on the cover. And finally, install this channel to cover the remaining cord. Here's how.

Cut the cord channel to length with a utility knife. Then remove the protective backing and stick it on the wall. The plan is to run the cord channel down the wall to the baseboard, along the top of the baseboard and then up the wall to the lamp.

Conceal the angles with these snap-on corners. Well, there you go, a lamp cord that's out of the way and child-safe.