Childproofing vacations.

• Author: Delaware, Louie
• Position: TRAVEL TIME

IF YOU HAVE young children, it is important when traveling to make sure that your home away from home is a safe place for your offspring. Hotel rooms are not childproofed to the same degree as your own home--and grandma's house can be even worse. From electrical outlets to windows, unstable furniture, small objects, hot water, and more, there are 101 things that can be dangerous in little hands.

Being aware of potential hazards and how they can be circumvented before you pack your bags is the best defense. Most accidents happen not because parents are not responsible or attentive to their children, but simply because they have not considered the accidents that can occur in unfamiliar places. Here are some things you can do to help ensure the safety of your children:

Ask for help. Do not approach home-away-from-home childproofing on your own if you do not have to. Inquire ahead of time to see if you can get help. Some hotels offer permanently childproofed rooms, and others will perform this service ahead of time if requested. Grandma or Aunt Sue also might be able to perform a few key tasks ahead of time if you send a list of concerns. Your loved ones care about your child's well-being, too, and, odds are, they would be happy to install a few child-resistant outlet covers, for instance, or make sure breakables, medications, vitamins, etc. are stored out of reach.

Do not leave things to chance--BYOCG (bring your own childproofing goods).

Even if you are traveling to an environment that you expect to be relatively safe, it always is a good idea to bring items like outlet plug inserts, safe nonincandescent night lights, Velcro cord wraps, bathtub mats, and the like to help make your room safer--and do not forget your duct tape, which, besides being useful for quick home-improvement fixes around the house, also can be a childproofing magic bullet, as it can be used to create barriers that are difficult for a young child to get past and, if you employ a little creativity, items like windows, unstable televisions, toilet seat covers, drawers, cabinets, shower doors, etc. easily can be "locked." You even can use duct tape with a rolled up towel to pad the corners of tables.

Figure out a safe floor plan. As long as it is not bolted into the floor, move any furniture that you feel might pose a risk. Specifically, move furniture away from windows and the edges of balconies. Move chairs that children could use to climb onto something higher, and check...