October is child safety month, and today’s parents have the ability to keep their children safer than yesterday’s, thanks to the many changes in home products.

One major change came from window blinds and shades. When the industry faced concerns about the dangers posed to children and pets by hanging cords, some manufacturers redesigned products to make them much more child-safe.

Hunter Douglas has proved to be an industry leader in this area. They manufacture the only roman shades with no exposed cords, avoiding choking risks. The company also developed a safer tassel on their wooden blinds that breaks open under pressure if a child or pet becomes tangled in the cord loop.

Other Hunter Douglas window products have no cords at all. Their LiteRise^® system eliminates cords completely. Shades or blinds can be raised or lowered to any desired position by pushing up from the top or down from the bottom. When you stop moving the blind or shade, it locks in the final position automatically.

An even easier tool available with Hunter Douglas window treatments is their motorized lifting system with a remote control to raise or lower your shades or blinds by pushing a button. There is one child safety issue with this product, however. Will you be tempted to strangle your children when they first discover this and your shades go up and down and up and down? For your sanity’s sake, just as with your television, put the remote beyond their reach!