Once babies begin crawling and moving around after a few months, there’s no telling what kind of trouble they can get into. That’s why so many parents have turned to babyproofing as a way to protect their child against household dangers. Once your home is babyproofed, you can rest easy knowing that whatever your child opens, pulls, finds or tries won’t hurt them.
Basic Household Babyproofing Tips for New Parents
The Kitchen
As a family, you spend a lot of time in the kitchen. However, the kitchen is not a place where a small child should spend much of their time—unless it’s babyproofed.
First of all, invest in child safety locks and latches for your cabinets. That way, your baby will not be able to access dangerous materials like cleaning products and cutlery.
Furthermore, keep easily breakable dishes and glasses high up out of their reach. Also, if any of your appliances have dangling cords, keep them far from where your child can access them. Last but not least, clear your refrigerator of small magnets, since they are major choking hazards.
The Bathroom
For small children, the only time they should be in the bathroom is to take baths. However, there are a few safety precautions you can implement to get the most out of your babyproofing.
To ensure there are no toilet shenanigans, keep the seat down or buy a toilet lid lock to make sure it’s always closed. It’s also imperative that you keep any and all razors or medications locked up and out of reach.
Since bathrooms can get wet and lead to slips and trips, add a non-slip mat so no one ever takes a tumble.
The Living Room
As one of the most utilized rooms in the home, your living room is going to need a little extra babyproofing to guarantee the utmost safety for your child.
- Start with the coffee table. It’s a best practice for your table to have rounded, rather than sharp, corners.
- You should probably check your other furniture to make sure that nothing wobbles or shakes.
- Whether they’re from the window or TV, keep all chords out of reach.
- If you have a fireplace, make sure there is a screen around it.
The Nursery
Before a baby is born, parents spend a great deal of time designing and planning the ultimate nursery. However, far too often, parents will spend more time figuring out a paint color than actually babyproofing the room.
When you’re in the market for a new crib, stay away from secondhand cribs, since many old models contain lead paint.
You can also buy one with fixed sides since drop-side cribs have been known to harm and injure babies. Make sure it’s slats aren’t far enough apart that your child can stick their head in them. Lastly, think about installing a window guard if your crib is nearby.
Babyproofing your entire home is absolutely essential for keeping your toddler safe and protected at all times.
