If you’re about to have a new baby, congratulations! However, you’re going to have to be prepared to take care of your newborn and while you may already be planning out the perfect nursery, you also need to consider how you’re going to secure the rest of your home as well. The sooner you baby proof your entire house the less anxiety you will have when your baby starts crawling. It may seem like it will be a long way off but once you get that baby home, it’s full speed ahead and they will begin growing before you know it. By getting things done ahead of time, you will have nothing to worry about. You can just focus on all the new and exciting things that are happening with your baby. Here’s a look at how you can baby proof your home.
Do A Complete Inspection
The first thing you’re going to need to do is eyeball everything in your home. You need to conduct a thorough inspection of every room in your home. Find all the potential hazards that are lying around and make a plan to get them to safety.
You’re going to have to do a little bit of crawling just as your baby will, in order to find out how things look from your child’s perspective. Get down on your hands and your knees and look around. You’re going to see if you notice any sharp edges, small objects, electrical cords or choking hazards.
Once you’ve recorded all of this you know how to proceed.
Secure Furniture And Appliances
You’re going to need to nail things down, so to speak. Maybe not literally but consider this, tall furniture such as bookshelves and dressers can pose a huge threat to a crawling child. They are tipping hazards.
You’re going to have to use furniture straps or anchors to prevent these from falling over.
When securing appliances, you can use locks to secure refrigerators, ovens and even dishwashers. This will prevent your child from opening them and potentially having something dangerous happen.
Put In Safety Gates
You’re going to need to install some safety gates. These are non-negotiables. You can use these to block off stairs and doorways or any area in your home that you think is a bit unsafe.
Start gathering your coins when it comes to buying safety gates because you may have a lot of potential places where you need to put them. The staircase for one is going to need two, one at the top and one at the bottom, that’s for sure.
If you have an office you might want to put a baby gate there as well. Be diligent about this, you want to make sure that you’re catching all the hot spots.
Get Covers For Electrical Outlets
You are going to need to make sure that you are getting covers for electrical outlets. These are some of the most common hazards for babies when they start crawling. Fortunately, electrical covers are relatively easy to find.
You’ll be able to find the covers and protectors at your local hardware store or online. This will prevent your child from sticking their hands and wiggling it inside these outlets as they become curious. This can lead to an electrical shock.
The covers that you buy should be tamper-resistant as these are the ones that are specifically designed to make sure that your children cannot be harmed.
Keep Cords Out Of Reach
Electrical cords and cables can strangle young children. You need to make sure that these are kept far away from them. There are many cord shorteners and concealers out there, as well as cord clips that you can use to secure cords to the wall, so they are out of reach of your precious bundle of joy.
Another thing you have to think about is your window blinds. You want to make sure that you’re not using any long cords for these. They also pose a strangulation risk.
This may all seem a bit overwhelming which is why you need to get started way before your child is born. You don’t want to be working spontaneously whenever your child starts touching things.
You want to make sure that everything is already baby-proofed.
Keep Those Cabinets Under Lock And Key
If your home is like most others out there you probably have some cleaning supplies, medications and even some sharp objects in cabinets.
When you have cabinets you are going to have to make sure that they are kept under lock and key. Invest in high-quality and sturdy locks to keep things safe.
This can seem overwhelming because there is a lot to be done and a lot of expenses. However, you have to think of it in terms of the fact that you are helping to secure your baby and preventing accidents that would otherwise have been costly.
Get Rid Of Choking Hazards
Choking hazards are often everywhere for crawling babies and toddlers. Since they are so curious they tend to take things that they find and put it in their mouth.
This is the only way their brains can often think of to explore the world around them. This makes things such as buttons, marbles and coins as well as cute small toys a choking hazard.
You should stock up on containers that contain lids so that everything becomes easier to store. Label these containers so that you have a specific one for every little thing that might just turn out to be a pesky hazard.
Crib Safety
When you are trying to baby proof your house you have to make sure that your crib is safe. You must make sure that the crib you are choosing has standards and that you assemble it according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
Be sure to choose a baby crib mattress that meets all the requirements for safety. This will ensure that your little one is not only comfy and cozy, when you put them to bed but that they are safe as well. You can breathe a sigh of relief and feel confident whenever you put them to sleep.
Additionally, you have to make sure that you’re keeping your eyeballs on the crib at all times as well. Look over signs of wear and tear and damage. Keep an ear to the ground and listen out for recalls. Make sure that the hardware such as the screws, bolts and brackets are firmly in place at all times.
Supervise Naps And Playtime
Unfortunately, not every part of baby-proofing your house involves “setting it and forgetting it”. There are some things that you’re going to need to do, that require you to pay close attention.
You’re going to have to become a security guard or watchman in some instances. There’s no way around it. When your child is napping and playing you need to check in on them every once in a while. You might want to buy a monitor to help with this whenever possible.
You never know when your baby may wake up and decide that they want to climb out of the crib and get into a dangerous situation. Consider too that as your baby begins to grow you’re going to need a change them to a toddler bed, to keep things safer.
You’re going to have to make sure that you are paying attention to play time as well. Many parents consider playtime their time for themselves, but when your child is young and curious you have to maintain a presence.