A number of great tools and products are on the market to help make your home as safe as can be for your new baby. By the time the baby is six months old, he will likely explore the home in his own way. This gives you just a small amount of time to get anything and everything out of the way so that he can’t hurt himself (or hurt your things) in the process. Today’s baby-proofing products are more adult-friendly to use, but there are often better choices available than those you may remember using in the past.
Get Down On Your Knees
The best way to find potential problems within your home is to see your home as your child does. Get down on your hands and knees and crawl around. Make a list of all the potential problems you expose your child. At this level, you will see electrical outlets, cords for televisions or lamps, small fringe, or other small items on tables that can be picked up, thrown, or put in their mouths. Look for corners on tables or other surfaces that are sharp. Look for stairs or places within the home they can get to as they crawl and later stroll around. This may include cabinets, closets, and doors.
With a list in hand like this, you can start finding the solutions to your problems. Luckily there are many great products on the market that can help you to childproof your home without a lot of worry about expense or the difficulty in using your home as you would like to.
Child Proofing With Adults In Mind
Your baby’s safety is the most important consideration, but you do not have to compromise the ease of living you currently have. The following are some of the most important tools available to you to protect your child while still have easy access to your home and things.
Corner Protection: As you crawled around you may have bumped into the corners of tables and chairs along the way. Either remove those with a point from the area or they should have a corner bumper installed on them. These will soften the edge and allow the child to bump into them with little or no effect. Most are widely available for just a few dollars. Choose bumpers that stay snuggly in place.
There are many other things to add to your home to childproof it. You may wish to add locks to doors to rooms where you do not want your toddler to venture. Every home should have carbon monoxide detectors and smoke alarms installed in them. Be sure to secure all items on tables safely or otherwise remove cords that could cause an item to fall on the child.
There’s a lot to do but by making a few simple changes to your home you will successfully protect your child from all the problems that usually affect children. Since thousands of children end up in the hospital each year due to injuries or poisonings at their homes, don’t overlook the safety of childproofing.
