Bringing a new baby home is one of the most exciting, profound moments you can experience as an adult.
For new parents, though, it can also be one of the scariest because you must learn to protect your Baby.
Learn these seven ways to Baby Proof Your Home.
Suddenly everything from the cleaning products you keep under the sink to the television sitting on its stand are dangerous threats to your new baby.
Once they start to scoot or crawl around, it’s time to start thinking about baby proofing your home.
Where should you begin?
Here are seven tips to get you started.
Table of Contents
Get on Their Level
It’s easy to think your house is safe when you’re looking down on it from your fully grown adult height, but babies are at ground level, and they can easily find a lot of things you might otherwise miss.
You don’t need to crawl around, but you should take the time to get on their level.
Pick a room, sit on the floor and look around.
How many dangerous things can you spot that would be within reach of little hands from your position on the floor?
Even at this level, you might miss some things.
However, it can give you a good idea of where to start.
Lock All Your Cabinets
From floor-level, one of the most obvious risks is cabinets.
Not only do you keep things like cleaning chemicals under the kitchen or bathroom sink, but you’ve also got heavy pots and pans your little one could hurt themselves with.
They could even easily climb into your cabinets and get stuck or slam their fingers in the cabinet door.
Invest in a good set of cabinet locks and install them before your baby starts crawling.
Secure Your Furniture
Your bookshelves, television and other furniture might look secure.
Then you’ve got a toddler who’s using all those pieces of furniture to pull themselves up.
Large furniture should be secured to the wall behind it, and heavy furniture should be screwed into the closest wall stud to keep them from falling if someone pulls on them.
Anything that has sharp corners, from coffee tables to entertainment stands, should have corner guards to prevent little heads from crashing into them.
Tie Up Your Cords
Cords — even something as seemingly innocuous as a cell phone charging cable — can be dangerous to little explorers just starting to make their way through the house.
Tie up electrical cords and tuck them out of the way where little hands — and teeth — can’t find them.
You should also hang window cords for opening and closing blinds and secure your curtains with tiebacks.
Even today, with so many warnings, roughly one in every eight children will become tangled up in window blind cords, and two-thirds of those children will die.
It’s a harsh fact, but it’s also one that we cannot ignore.
Cut the Power
Sticking a fork in a wall socket might seem like a funny joke, but to a toddler, it’s just another way to explore the world.
Before they start crawling, make sure you block off any unused plugs with outlet covers that are hard to remove.
You should have to use two hands or a screwdriver to get the outlet cover off.
You can even go one step further and replace your entire electrical plate with one that’s spring-loaded and won’t open unless an actual plug is inserted.
Memorize This Number
Get ready to memorize this phone number: 1-800-222-1222.
That’s the number for Poison Control in the United States, and you’ll want to know it just in case your infant or toddler gets into something they shouldn’t be eating.
Even if they end up telling you your baby is going to be okay, it’s always better to have that piece of mind.
Be Mindful of Doors
Keeping your exterior doors locked once your toddler starts getting around more is a given, but what about your interior doors?
There’s nothing more nerve-wracking than trying to pick the lock of an interior door because your child has locked themselves in the bathroom or bedroom.
Swap out your interior doors that don’t need a lock with a new handle that doesn’t lock.
Hang on to your original handle — you’ll need to once your toddler hits their teenage years.
Child-proofing takes a lot of thought, and it’s easy to overlook something that could cause harm to a toddler.
Be mindful of how little kids move around, and take some time to get down on their level to ensure your children are safe.
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