Baby Proofing Your Home
The time to baby proof comes way to fast for most families. One day you are pregnant, and the next day you are worried about stairways and electrical outlets. How can the time fly by so fast?
There are many details to remember when it comes to baby proofing your home and many times there are things you may miss in the process. The first hint many will give you is to get down onto your hands and knees so that you can see the world from your babies point of view. There may be something that your baby can see being down low, that you do not see or wouldn’t think about when you are up high. If you get down to your baby’s level you can make you catch all the little details.
Speaking of Little…
Remember to pick up any and all little items left on the floor. Anything your baby picks up with eventually find its’ way to his mouth. These little things can be easily swallowed by your baby causing him to choke. It is best to keep anything that can fit into a roll of toilet paper up and out of your baby’s reach.
Electrical Items
You have to be very careful about electrical outlets and cords. Babies can take smaller items, and stick them in an outlet which can cause them to shock themselves. They can also get tangled up in electrical cords, or possibly even start chewing on cords when they are teething. They have outlet covers that you can buy at your local store and cord covers which keep the cords away from your baby’s reach.
Drawers and Cabinets
It is important that you install cabinet and drawer locks onto all you cabinets and drawers. When your baby is crawling and walking he can get into things and places he shouldn’t get into. Cabinets contain poisons items, as well as glass and drawers often contain sharp objects such as knives and scissors. Your baby can get into these items and hurt himself before you even realize he is in danger, so it is best to get the cabinets and drawers secured as early as possible.
Sharp Corners
An area you need to make sure is baby proofed, that many people do not remember is the corners of your counters and furniture. Many times your couch or tables with have pointy sharp corners on them that your baby will eventually run into and could be very hurt by. Luckily there is a solution for the sharp corners as well. You can actually buy in stores corner protectors to put on your tables and counter that round them out so when your baby does run into them, they do not get hurt.
Glass Doors
If you have a big glass patio door, you can’t forget about it! When clean these are often completely see through, and to a baby just learning to walk or a toddler, they can be hurt by running into them. If you have a glass door stick some window appliqués on them at your child’s eye level so that they see them when they are walking around and do not hit the glass full force.
Swimming Pools
Not only dangerous during the summer months, but year round as well, a pool can hurt your baby instantly. If you have an above ground pool you should drain it if possible, whenever it is not use. If you do not have an above ground pool make sure you have a locked gate surrounding your pool, and a cover on your pool that your baby can not fall through. Your baby can drown in as little as 2 inches of water, so it is best to not ever take chances.
Stairways
If you have stairs in your home it is simple to protect your baby from making a dangerous fall. Invest in a couple of inexpensive baby gates to put at the top and the bottom of the stairs. This will keep your baby from crawling up, and from falling down the stairs possibly causing serious injuries.
Baby proofing your home is a very important detail that can not be forgotten about or over looked. In the end it is the health and safety of your baby that is at stake, and making sure your baby is protected is worth all costs.
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