Child Proofing Your Home

You just brought home the new baby from the hospital and you have your nursery looking great. New crib, sheets, curtains, paint and wall decorations, but now is the time to start child-proofing your home.  The baby might seem helpless and innocent now but quickly that will change and before long he or she will be rolling, crawling and walking.

Baby Level

All those little knick knacks and treasures that are at baby height should be moved higher so they do not get broken or worst yet, put in the baby’s mouth, posing a potential choking hazard.  Babies also grab them and can fall and hurt themselves with them. 

Furniture

I am not saying to buy new furniture, but the coffee table with a sharp square edge is not a good choice.  The baby should have an area that you can close off with baby gates (sold at most department stores) that has soft furniture and flooring to accommodate the number of falls the little one will do.  This will take a lot of pressure off you so you can relax and the baby can learn to move about safely.

Toddler

When the baby gets more room to roam, the kitchen and bathrooms are the next big projects.  Look inside all the cabinets and drawers. You will be very surprised to see the amount of dangerous items that are available to them.  I suggest all cabinets and drawers the baby will have access to should have infant locks on them.  Again, these locks can be purchased at department and hardware stores.  You do not want your toddler drinking cleaning agents or walking around with sharp objects.

Stairs

The staircase is something you have to work on with your toddler.  Try to teach them the proper way to go up and down by repeating the procedure multiple times with them.  In the beginning, I would recommend that you gate off the stairs until they are old enough to be taught to do it themselves.

Pets

Do not leave a child unattended with the family pet.  Children sometimes pull, pinch, or unknowing hurt a dog or cat and the animal can bite or scratch them.    

Safety

Naturally, safety is the issue and common sense will guide you in the right directions.  Just don’t leave things out and hope your baby will always listen to your warning.  Children are curious and will always test the boundaries. That is why you want to make their environment as safe as possible.  This should be done whether you have a child in the house full time or part time so it is particularly important if you have grandchildren that come for visits to child proof your home too.