If you are expecting a new baby, congratulations! However, you must be prepared to care for a newborn, and while you may have the perfect nursery planned, you also need to consider how to keep the rest of your home safe. The sooner you get your baby to check out the whole house, the less anxious you’ll be when your baby starts crawling. It may seem like a long way off, but once you bring your baby home, everything will hit full steam ahead and they’ll start growing before you know it. Get things done ahead of time and you’ll have nothing to worry about. You can focus on all the new and exciting things happening with your baby. Here’s how to babyproof your home.
Conduct a comprehensive inspection
The first thing you need to do is check everything in your home. You need to give every room in your home a thorough inspection. Find all the potential hazards around you and make a plan to keep them safe.
You have to do some crawling as your baby does to get an idea of how things look from your child’s perspective. Get down on your hands and knees and look around. You will look to see if you notice any sharp edges, small objects, wires, or choking hazards.
Once you’ve documented all of this, you’ll know how to proceed.
Protect furniture and appliances
You need to finalize things, so to speak. Maybe not literally, but consider that tall furniture like bookshelves and dressers can pose a huge threat to crawling children. They present a tipping hazard.
You will have to use furniture straps or anchors to prevent them from falling.
When it comes to protecting appliances, you can use locks to protect your refrigerator, oven, and even your dishwasher. This will prevent your child from opening them and something dangerous happening.
Install safety gate
You will need to install some security gates. These are non-negotiable. You can use them to block off stairs and doorways or any area of your home that you feel is a little unsafe.
Start collecting coins when purchasing a security gate, as you may have many potential places to place them. One needs two stairs, one at the top and one at the bottom, that’s for sure.
If you have an office, you may want to put a baby gate there as well. Be diligent about this and you want to make sure you catch all the hot spots.
Get electrical outlet covers
You need to make sure you have a cover for your electrical outlet. These are some of the most common dangers when babies start crawling. Fortunately, electrical covers are relatively easy to find.
You can find covers and protectors at your local hardware store or online. This will prevent your children from sticking their hands into these sockets and wiggling around in them when they are curious. This may cause electric shock.
The lids you buy should be tamper-proof as these lids are specially designed to ensure that your child does not get hurt.
Keep cords out of reach
Wires and cables can strangle young children. You need to make sure they stay away from them. There are many cord shorteners and concealers on the market, as well as cord clamps that can be used to secure cords to the wall so they are far away from your precious joy.
Another thing you must consider is your blinds. You want to make sure you are not using any long wires. They also pose a strangulation risk.
It all may seem a little overwhelming, which is why you need to start before your baby is born. You don’t want spontaneity to kick in every time your child starts touching things.
You want to make sure everything is babyproofed.
Lock those cabinets
If your home is like most others, you probably have some cleaning supplies, medications, and even some sharp objects in your cabinets.
When you have cupboards, you have to make sure they are locked. Invest in a high-quality, sturdy lock to keep your items safe.
This can seem overwhelming because there is so much to do and so many expenses. However, you must take into account the fact that you are helping to protect your baby and prevent accidents that can otherwise be costly.
Get rid of suffocation hazard
For crawling babies and young children, choking hazards are often everywhere. Because they are curious, they tend to put things they find in their mouths.
It’s the only way their brains often think of exploring the world around them. This makes items such as buttons, marbles, coins, and cute little toys a choking hazard.
You should stock up on containers with lids to make it easier to store everything. Label these containers so you have a specific container for every little thing that might pose a nasty hazard.
crib safety
When you’re trying to babyproof your home, you have to make sure your crib is safe. You must ensure that the crib you choose meets standards and is assembled in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions.
Be sure to choose a crib mattress that meets all safety requirements. This will ensure that your child is not only comfortable and cozy when you put them to bed, but also that they are safe. You can breathe a sigh of relief and feel confident every time you put them to sleep.
Also, you have to make sure that you keep your eyes on the crib. Check for signs of wear and damage. Keep an eye on the ground and listen for recalls. Make sure hardware such as screws, bolts and brackets are securely in place at all times.
Supervise naps and playtime
Unfortunately, not all babyproofing involves “set it and forget it.” There are things you need to do that require your close attention.
In some cases, you will have to become a security guard or caretaker. There is no way around this problem. You’ll want to check in every once in a while while your child is napping and playing. You may want to purchase a monitor if possible to help resolve this issue.
You never know when your baby will wake up and decide to crawl out of the crib and get into a dangerous situation. Also consider that as your baby starts to grow, you will need to move them to a toddler bed to ensure safety.
You also have to make sure you focus on your gaming time as well. Many parents think of playtime as their own time, but when your children are young and curious, you have to be present.
