Toxic and potentially toxic products should be kept well out of reach of toddlers, just as the handles of pots and pans on a stove should not be visible from the toddler's height. Electric sockets not in use should be capped. Sharp corners should have foam rubber protectors, etc.

The list is long, but the toddler's safety is the parents', guardian's primary responsibility. This does NOT absolve nor should it be construed to mean manufacturers are absolved of responsibility for their products. Quite the opposite. 

However, the child's safety is the care giver's ultimate responsibility and that means defensive consumerism: THINK! "What would this look like to my child?". "Is this potentially a disaster?". If there is no choice but that product, the next thought should be, "How can I keep this out of those busy little hands?".

If the parent doesn't think like that, it's negligence. All this stuff used to be taught in school (home economics). I guess the new math is more important than a child's safety and adequate, responsible parenting. If the negligent parent/s were visibly punished, there'd be a far lower child mortality/morbidity.

With all the other things in the news about parents, i.e. a husband and wife found passed out in their car from being drunk with a 4 year old in the back seat here in Indiana. Kids shooting themselves with a parents gun, twice in the last month! You name it! It is NOT a companies fault, it is not the product, it is about STUPID, DUMBASS, IDIOTIC, BRAINLESS, WITLESS human beings that have no right to even create a child! 

Some people should flat out have their children taken away from them! Use of common sense seems to be lacking within the entire human race nowadays! Just my personal opinion.

Well...  This IS a rant thread.

Responsibility is shared between parents, product manufacturers, advertisers, stockholders. We're all connected.  We live in a pervasive web of sometimes perverse and cleverly disguised persuaders' messages.  Lightstar rightly points out one example of a set of parents that somehow slipped through the Darwin Awards selection process.  (sad)  Doc points out some basic, common sense practices that everyone should be taught in our educational system.  (Its easier to start making a baby than it is to get a drivers license - that's sad.)  However, no matter how smart some people are, the hidden persuaders are now seemingly warp and woof of our first world civilizations.  I do disagree with Doc one one point: parents who fail at being responsible parents should not be 'punished.'  Rather they should be forced to learn better parenting skills.   And the legal system needs to be revamped to support this - and remove money from the equation.  If this last step is not implemented, the affluenzia defense will still shelter the rich teens from the consequences of their actions, thus shielding their parents from responsibility for inadequate parenting. 

There's a fine line to be drawn when it comes to saying that parents are entirely responsible for (and should be entirely accountable for) the behavior/actions of their children.  Some of the finest people I know have had children who made their lives miserable by acting out in nefarious ways.  Also know some who virtually neglected their children, only to have them turn out to be fine people & model citizens.

While we should as a society have a level of expectation of responsibility when it comes to parenting, deciding what that level should be is the tricky part.  Putting 100% of the onus on parents gives a problem child incredible leverage, a club to wield against essentially defenseless parents, and don't think for a moment they don't know it - they may be immature but they are anything but dumb.

Educating people to be better parents can't hurt, but there are some kids who cannot be adequately parented, no matter how knowledgeable & conscientious the parents.

Both the OP and I were very clearly referring to babies/toddlers. 

I referred to education and the education which should be given and made requisite for a high school diploma. When children are left in cars in the summertime, despite multiple clear warnings on media, punishment is necessary. Also, if states/boards of ed. ever get their values straight, and parenting/home ec/civics are taught, as they should be, then "I didn't know" will not be acceptable. Negligence is negligence, even in the absence of those courses. When pregnancy is diagnosed, parenting courses should become a legal requisite.

I also wrote: 

I'm sorry, but little kids put all kinds of shit, including shit, into their mouths.  Yes, infants and toddlers will actually eat shit on occasion, I myself was fortunate to only have an obsession with putting rocks, penny's and, at one point when I was three, a particularly tasting looking fly into my mouth, but there are somewhere north of three million actual shit eaters in the US, who at one point tried, or even took a liking to, the consumption of their own crap.  Going apeshit over what a laundry detergent packet looks like isn't really helpful here.  Kids will literally eat anything.  There are at least two disorders when the little bastards will keep eating things even after discovering that they taste awful.  They're not eating these things because they're bright and colorful, they're eating them because they're within arms reach.  The kids would have been pretty likely to grab a handful of detergent and pop it into their mouths too.

Only really fucking stupid parents do things like leave laundry soap arranged in convenient, bite size, rapid dissolving packets, in reach of infants.  It's got nothing to do with the product though, they're just as stupid if they let them near loose change.

Absolutely.  It's a form of exploration.  Probably need to be more concerned if a little kid doesn't put anything into his mouth.  You just have to keep that stuff secured.

That's the whole point. Whether its laundry detergent or guns, the result is the same. Kids die due to the negligence of parents/guardians. Children are our most precious resource and no other priority is greater.

I blame dumb ass lazy parents for the most part.

Yup! Totally!

I think if you would have not included this statement some of this conversation would not be as it is. In your post #9 along with others some of the correct information is being said.

As far as mentioned above kids will put about anything in their mouths that is correct. But as Doc and others have said seems this younger generation of parents need to go to classes and told about this stuff. Common sense doesn't appear to be part of growing up anymore. I and all my friends have never had a problem with our children getting into medicine, soaps, etc. or going into any places they weren't allowed. All it was about is starting children at a very young age what the word "NO" means. Doesn't seem to be the case with children anymore. Just go to a toy store or even a place to eat with smaller children. Oh, you hear the parent many times say no. However they say it over and over again and when they don't stop the parent just laughs it off and gives up. In other situations they just give in to buying the toy or letting them throw their food. My children weren't perfect but they did know what no meant and have respect. Not much respect now a days from not all but most of the younger people and not just young children. If you don't see that total lack of respect for a persons property and towards you in general you just don't ever get out. Thank goodness there are still a few good one around where I am.

This thread is one of those that opens opinions. I said my 2 cents worth and that is all I have to say. Guess I actually said anything because I'm sick and tired of this politically correct World. Say or write something now that use to be a joke years ago and everyone knew that, say it now and you may have the Police knocking on your door, losing your job, etc.

Understand.  Sorry to have taken it a little OT.  Needless to say, protecting toddlers/babies is a different kettle of fish, witness people 'forgetting' their infant is in the car in Phoenix in the middle of the summer.

I hear you Daiwa. Problem I have is I don't think they ever forget. Think they believe it's only a minute or 30 minutes and all will be well. A parent should never do that for any reason. How about the stupid people that think it's fine to leave their animal in the auto. doesn't matter if it's hot, cold or nice out it shouldn't be done.

I know I'm old but it just saddens me to try and understand why people do what they do much to often. They should just plain know it's wrong.

I can't fathom the pain of losing a child, a very strong motivator for protecting them, which makes it hard for me to understand how a parent could be so cavalier.