From baby
gates, to the gadgets out there, to locking cabinets and turning
away pot handles, there's just so much to know and remember.
I am going to try to touch on many of them below, but all
in all it comes down to alot of common sense.
One of
the first things you will want to do initially is an inventory
of your home. This is best done on all fours; I have also
found it beneficial to bring a pen and peice of paper down
with me, I then can write down items that you would like to
get or things I would like to move. Crawling around, might
seem weird, but you need to get a "kids" view of
your home. When on your knees there's alot more "interesting"
stuff in your home than you might think. You will want to
pay particular attention to the rooms and area's that your
baby/toddler will be in the most; such as the nursery, or
play room.
Some
questions to ask yourself during this "knee's eye view"
are:
-
Are there important books, breakables, or other
items that I treasure with in hands reach? (Yes,
I do mean your arms reach, while your arm span will be
longer than your child's you will be amazed at how your
child will find ways to get to things that you think are
back on shelves far enough, so these items should be moved
to high places or into another room.)
-
Are
there cords from blinds hanging down? (Blind
cords can be a major choking hazard.)
-
Does
your furniture have sharp corners? (Your baby
why learning to walk, could fall and hurt himself on corners.)
-
Are
there any electrical outlets down with in babies view?
(Electrical outlets could cause electrocution, when little
fingers can get to them.)
-
Are
there any small items that are laying on or near the floor?
(Babies can choke very easily, on things that you would
not think a problem. The rule of thumb is if it can fit
in a toilet paper tube, it is to small for little hands.)
-
Is
your "baby area" in or near a kitchen?
(If so think about putting up items that maybe under your
sink, or putting a baby lock on those cabinets.)
The
next area to think about is, products. There are
so many on the market today, it's hard to know what your going
to need and what you can leave behind. The inventory of your
house will be vital.
-
Baby Gates - Baby gates are a great
way to prevent your baby or toddler from going places
you would rather them not go. They can be placed in door
ways, or at the tops and bottoms of stairs. They can keep
your baby safe from falling down stairs, keep them from
entering the kitchen or bathroom, or even keep them in
one section or room within your house. When looking for
a good baby gate, the mesh center area or the holes with
in the gate should not be large enough to put your babies
toes in, if your child can put there toes in the holes,
that means he can climb over. Many gates on the market
today can be operated one handed, which is a wonderful
thing if you have your baby in one hand, and need to get
the gate open. Gates also can be free standing units;
which is nice if you might consider moving it from place
to place. They also have gates that can be screwed into
your wall, which swing open; these gates are especially
nice if you will be leaving the gate where it is.
-
Corner
Cushions - Corner cushions are for those corners
on furniture. They are usually plastic and they sit on
the edge of your furniture. By doing so they provide a
blocker from your child's head and the corner of that
particular peice of furniture. One draw back to them is
that most of them seal to your furniture by glue or a
sticky substance. However, now they have also come up
with a full pad for tables. These are great, the have
elastic inside of them and "fit" or "conform"
to your table, meaning that you can slide a pad all the
way around the outside edge of your table, adding some
padding so that if your baby falls there will at least
be something to break his fall. Since these have elastic
they pull themselves taught and there is no need for glue
or a substance to keep them stationary.
-
Electric
Outlet Covers - Outlet covers can be as simple
or as complex as you want or need them to be. The simplest
kind are, plastic covers that simply fit with in the electric
outlet and are next to impossible to remove. (Though beware,
they can pose a very real choking risk if found laying
about in your house.) Now they also sell the actual electric
outlet that is child proof. It has a "plate"
on top of the outlet that an adult must slide aside in
order to plug anything in. In addition to that, they also
sell covers, these covers go over plugged in items as
well as protect unused plugs. By using these you can use
your plugs and be sure that your child cant pull the cord
out of the wall (which is a choking hazard), nor can they
then stick there fingers in the holes once it is removed,
which is also a hazard.
-
Cabinet
and Drawer Locks - Cabinet and drawer locks are
basically what they say. They are locks to help keep your
baby out of dangerous things within your house. It is
however recommend that you place any and all hazardous
materials out of babies reach, or out in the garage, this
is not always possible. So cabinet and drawer locks can
work very well for this propose. They also work for keeping
your baby or toddler from tearing though every one of
your dish towels all day long as well. They can either
be inside your cabinet or drawer or outside. Typically
the ones that go outside only work if there is 2 door's
next to each other, as they hook on each door handle and
keep each other closed.
-
When
dealing with decks and banisters there are also products
available. There is a mesh netting that does
require that you screw it in place but it will prevent
little bodies from getting though the holes with in the
banisters or deck rails. They also sell plastic sheets
that work well for this purpose as well.
Lets
move on to talking about particular things you will want/need
to do with in certain rooms of your house:
-
The Nursery: When in the nursery, you
will want to be sure first that the crib is not placed
near a window or near cords from blinds. You will also
want to be sure that you can not fit a can of soda between
the rails of the crib (all cribs made after the 1950's
are made so that you can not, that is why it is imperative
that you do not use hand-me-down cribs from that era).
The mattress also need to be firm, and there is no "bedding"
with in the crib. The only thing recommended to be inside
the crib with your infant (especially) is a well fitted
crib sheet. (As your baby gets older and can move around
better, you can put items to play with, or a "lovey"
in, just be very sure that your child is in full control
over there head before doing so.)
-
The
Kitchen: When in the kitchen you will want to
take special care as well. First, you will want to either
lock or put away items such as cleaners and/or chemicals
(this includes soap). It is recommended that you remove
them (or place them out of babies reach). Make sure any
items which have knives, or even forks in them are locked.
While your cooking take great care to place the handles
towards the rear of the stove, and not hanging over the
edge. You will also need to take great care that any and
all electrical cords do not hang over the edge of the
cabinets, your baby could pull on these and pull dangerously
hot stuff onto himself. It is best if at all possible
to keep your baby out of the kitchen why your cooking.
Either that or place him within a high chair or even within
a baby carrier, in the back carry!
-
The
Car: When baby proofing for the car, the most
important part falls on correctly installing and using
the car seat. To do this, its easiest to take your car
and seat to a local fire or police station. These men
and woman have to take a 5 hour course in order to learn
how to install these seats. They will not only install
your seat for you, but also show you how to adjust the
straps and how to buckle them once the baby is inside.
Another way to child proof the car that you might not
think of, is remove any and all items that are loose.
These items could become flying missiles in a car crash.
You can move them to the trunk.
In closing,
remember to look though your child's eyes for potential hazards,
be mindful that alot of every day items, things we would never
think of can be harmful to our children, and when in doubt
hazard on the side of caution. Remember to "re-child-proof"
your home at least once every 4-6 weeks. And always keep a
watchful eye, even in the safest of homes, your baby or toddler
will find ways to hurt themselves or test your limits (that's
there job!).
About
the Author
Jennifer Sprague, co-owner of High
Top Baby Designs. She has several
years of teaching experience, working with infants through
adults and has a passion for helping children live happy,
healthy and secure lives. Jennifer has been a nanny, daycare
provider, teacher, and is currently studying to become a Doula
and a Lactation Consultant.
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