Baby Proofing Your Home
Before your child begins to walk is the time to start baby proofing your home. Babies and toddlers learn by touching and by putting things in their little mouths, so making sure that their environment is safe from hazards is important.
Here are some basic guidelines for baby proofing your home.
First, get down to your baby?s level. By crawling and lying on the floor, you can spot potential dangers before your child can, and correct them. Go through your house room by room to look for potential hazards and then find a way to correct them.
- Living Room, Family Room Great Room
In the living area of your home, make sure that rugs are secured to avoid slipping or tripping hazards. Repair loose floor or linoleum tiles, or fraying carpet, so that they are not a potential hazard. Tied electrical cords together and secure them in place so that they cannot be pulled on or used to pull down objects such as lamps, or chewed or sucked on. Also be sure to cover all outlets with protective covers so that little fingers (or other objects) cannot be inserted into them.
Make sure furniture is sturdy and will not easily topple over if your baby pulls on or tries to crawl onto it. Repair wobbly furniture or put it away where baby can?t get to it.
Clear small items off tables and dressers. Any item that is small enough to fit in an empty cardboard paper towel roll is a potential choking hazard for your baby. Keys, loose change, rings, buttons, lighters, and other small items are potential choking hazards.
Keep pet toys out of your child?s reach as well ? not only are they a potential choking hazard, but they are a health hazard as well.
- Kitchen
Install locking mechanisms cabinet doors and drawers so that baby cannot open them. Store any cleaning supplies, alcohol and other hazardous items in a cabinet out of your child?s reach. Consider making one drawer in the kitchen your baby?s play drawer, filled with safe and interesting items such as plastic food storage containers, wooden spoons, pots and pans, etc., that he or she can pull our and play with, keeping him or her occupied while you?re in the kitchen.
- Bathroom
Babies can drown in just a few inches of water; never leave your child alone in the bathroom. Keep shampoos, soaps and razors off the bathtub ledge and out of reach. Also keep the toilet lid down and consider installing a locking mechanism. Make sure all electrical appliances are stored out of reach and cannot be pulled down by their cords.
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Jessdel says...
Good article, however, one thing to add that I learn from experience here: as your baby grows re-look at what steps you have put in place. You’ll be amaze at how quickly a safe-proof method no longer works. I remember putting my makeup far out of Jalen’s reach.
Soon however, he realized that he could reach matter he wanted by just pushing a chair by the chest and climb up.