Childproofing your home can be overwhelming when you don’t know where to start. Research may also yield a ton of information that confuses you even further.
Luckily, you can take a step-by-step approach to babyproofing that makes all the difference in how you protect your child. Here are 8 tips to get you started.
Tackle the broken things first
It’s surprising how easily we adapt to minor faults in the house. You avoid the broken window, compensate for the leaking hot water, and stop using the unsteady table. But when you’re expecting a baby, it’s wise to fix these as soon as possible.
Begin with the big things and work your way down. You should also check your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors as a precaution. It’s a good idea to check your home for lead paint, especially if it was built before 1978. Some critical spots to inspect are window sills, door frames, and other areas.
With pieces of furniture, consider mounting them to prevent tipping. You’d be surprised by how often you reposition furniture without realizing it. When shopping for new furniture, also look for ones that have anti-tip kits and high safety standards.
Childproof the crib
Even though cribs are designed for babies, you still need some extra precautions as a parent. For starters, ensure that the crib is the appropriate height for your child. This won’t be much of a problem when you have a newborn. However, once they can pull up, be sure to keep the crib railing at the lowest height level. If not, they may pull up on the rail and launch themselves out of the crib.
It’s also smart to keep blankets and other items out of the crib. While they may look decorative, these items can quickly become a choking hazard. All you really need are well-tucked sheets. You can find adorable sheets for your baby’s crib at lewis home (https://www.lewisishome.com/collections/crib-sheets)
Secure all heavy objects
Here’s something you’ll have to pay attention to once your child starts moving around. Around 6 months, babies begin crawling, and they get really curious. They’ll roll and play on the ground more often, and will probably begin tugging on everything they can find.
A great – but silly – way to start is to lay on the floor and look at things from the baby’s perspective. Look for objects that they can reach from the ground that may topple over. For example, a cabinet might have a ton of heavy objects on top. It may also be unstable and likely to tip over.
By 9 months, your kids will become even more mobile, and you’ll need to make other adjustments. These may include moving stuff like televisions from shelves and anchoring them to the wall. You may also need to anchor other furniture pieces.
Watch out for electricity
From licking batteries to sticking forks in electric outlets, there are many ways that electricity can hurt your kids. One of the best solutions is to replace your outlets with models that have safe plates. That way, your kids can’t fit their fingers or forks into them. You can also buy wall plates that fit into the socket.
Gate your stairs
If you have a stairway in your home, gates above and below the stairs are essential. They can keep your children out of harm’s way, even when you’re not looking. The gates are also much more effective than trying to keep them away from the stairs.
You usually don’t have to worry about this until your children reach the 6-month mark. That’s when they can really move around and feed their curiosity. Look for gates that screw into place. These won’t fall down, can be opened and closed easily, and they are very difficult to climb over.
Keep cleaning products out of the reach of children
“Keep out of the reach of children” has almost become a permanent part of some product packaging. But the advice is as valid as it ever was. It’s estimated that up to 84,000 children were treated in the ER in 2015 due to poison exposure.
Be sure to keep cleaning products on high cabinets, and lock them tight. Keeping things high only gets you so far because once your children start climbing, they may reach it effortlessly. That’s why locking is also essential.
You should also avoid storing pills and drugs in purses and handbags. Kids love to rummage through bags, and they may easily mistake the pills for candy.
Protect your corners
Once your child starts moving around, you’ll be surprised at how far they get within a short period. That’s why the best approach is to childproof everything you can. That gives you some peace of mind that they’ll stay safe even if they slip your supervision.
Corner guards are useful in this situation. You may need to get to your child’s eye level once more to scope the area and find which corners can be reached. The good news is that corner guards are a dime a dozen.
Don’t forget to babyproof the car
Babyproofing your car is the next step in this process. Your child will spend a lot of time in the car and so, you should pay attention to potential hazards. Here are some tips to help you get started.
- Install a rear-facing child seat in the middle of the back seat. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends a rear-facing seat until your child outgrows the convertible seat, or until the age of one. You should also never install the rear-facing seat in front. This is because the airbag can deploy and hurt the baby.
- Apply sunshades on the windows: If you live in a sunny area, this tip is essential. Sunshades can protect your baby from harmful UV rays and keep the car cool. Be sure to get stick-on shades; modes with suction cups tend to fall off.
- Remove choking hazards: You want to clear the car of pens, coins, and other small objects that may become a choking hazard.
