Welcoming a baby brings all sorts of new dimensions to family life. For example, you may feel overwhelmed looking around your home and considering how to keep your baby safe. Many experts will tell you to buy a long list of baby-proofing products, but ultimately what you need most is common sense. Consider these baby-proofing tips to make your home safe and set your mind at ease.
Get Low to Look for Hazards
As the first step in baby-proofing, adjust your perspective. Many baby-proofing tips include specific areas of your home to adapt, but every home is different. Therefore, your home may need different tools and attention than the experts suggest. To find the correct baby-proofing for your home, get down near the floor and look around each room. From this perspective, you will notice different hazards and risky areas than you saw from your full height. Look for places where your baby could crawl, reach, open, or access anything that could cause them harm. These will be your key areas for baby-proofing.
Lock Up Dangerous Substances
Most parents know to put chemicals and other caustic substances out of reach of children. However, it is important to consider all the other possible dangerous substances in your cupboards as well. Any products used for laundry, cleaning, medication, or hygiene should be out of reach. This includes rags, brushes, and other tools that might have chemicals on them. Vitamins and pills are easily mistaken for candy, so avoid keeping them in your purse or bag. If locking the cabinets that store these items is not possible, consider putting them high out of reach instead.
Be Aware of Any Water
When you think of drowning, you likely think of pools, rivers, lakes, or the ocean. However, drowning can take place in only a few inches of water. With this in mind, never leave a baby with access to a significant amount of water. This includes bathtubs, full sinks, toilets, water tables, and buckets. While it may seem unlikely that your child could access the water, children surprise us all the time and it’s best to be prepared.
Secure All Heavy Furniture
Among baby-proofing tips, this one has been in the public eye more recently, but it still bears repeating. In a home with children, all furniture should be secured to the wall with straps or brackets. Again, while it may seem unlikely that a child could pull over a heavy dresser or bookcase, often all it takes is a little more weight to make them tip. In fact, a major furniture retailer recently recalled one model of dresser and began including straps with every purchase to secure the chest of drawers to a wall to prevent injury. If you are unsure how to attach your large items to the wall, ask for assistance at any hardware store.
Make a Baby-Safe Play Area
Giving your child their own safe space to play is even better than making your whole house acceptable for your baby. While your child is growing and learning to keep themselves safe, a secure play area gives them the opportunity to play freely without concern. This area could be a gated room or a playpen with only age-appropriate toys, books, and furniture in it. In addition to only putting child-friendly items in the space, be sure to cover all outlets and keep electrical and blind cords well out of reach. Also, this “yes space” can grow and change with your child as they get older, becoming a craft or homework space in the future.
Making your home a safe space for a baby takes some work. At the same time, your peace of mind and your baby’s security are worth it. Follow these baby-proofing tips to prepare your home for your baby’s exploration and growth. Are you looking for childcare in a safe environment, perfectly suited for your baby’s needs? Consider Legacy Academy Suwanee Dam. Call or visit today for more information.
