How To Effectively Baby Proof Your House!
I didn't realize how unsafe my house was for babies until... Well, until I had a baby. In this article, I'll walk you through all you need to know about keeping your child safe while also maintaining your home's style, room by room, with a free printable checklist to help!
WHEN TO BABY PROOF THE HOUSE?
Newborns are so quiet, adorable, and don't move around much that there isn't much to worry about in terms of baby proofing at that time. However, as your baby begins rolling or crawling, there will be so much joy as well as work to ensure that the entire house environment is secure for your adorable little curious one.
So, as soon as your kid is mobile, I believe you should take the appropriate precautions to keep the infant safe.
Mom tip: My most important piece of advice as a mother is to never leave your child unattended, no matter how well you have baby-proofed the house. In my scenario, every time I believe I've completely baby-proofed the house, my daughter proves me otherwise! Because you never know what may be dangerous for your child that you haven't considered.
Always keep an eye on your child and never leave them alone. Babies can enter a room and easily find something unsafe, perhaps injuring themselves. After all, the baby is just that, a baby! They like to explore anything and everything that comes their way, so better safe than sorry.
Here are the must-dos for baby-proofing your home, based on what I've learnt so far. in order to keep YOU sane and your BABY safe.
Let’s dive in!
As you can see, I categorized the blog content into the most important and risky elements of every house.
1- THE STAIRS:
Any mother's stomach will rise up into her throat when she sees her shaky walker dangerously balancing at the top of the stairs. Children, on the other hand, can't seem to stay away from stairs at any cost. To avoid such situations, you have to invest in baby gates to prevent them from climbing or tumbling down the stairs.
Take a look at this well-rated retractable baby gate if you want a more rectable and aesthetic design.
2- THE WINDOWS AND BLINDS:
Windows! I'm terrified simply thinking about what may go wrong if a toddler gets too close to the windows. I even have nightmares about my daughter slipping out of the window. The sad news is that there are children who are hurt or even killed as a result of window and blind accidents every year.
So how to baby-proof windows and blinds?
First of all, remove any objects that your child may use to climb and get near the window. Then Install window stoppers. From Window Security Chain Lock to sliding window lock and horizontal sliding windows, you have many options to choose from.
If you have blinds in your living room or any other area of your home, be sure that any cables are tucked away high enough out of a child's reach. A child may choke if the cable is wrapped around their neck.
Invest in a blind cord winder to keep your blind cords short and out of the reach of your children at all times (a cordless window cover is preferable).
3- DRAWERS:
At times, time may catch up with us in the blink of an eye. We record our baby crawling and taking their first steps one day, and the next they're climbing the kitchen drawers for those freshly baked, homemade cupcakes, or they try to empty them of harmful items like knives or other sharp and dangerous objects in the kitchen or any room in the house.
Drawer locks come in handy in this element of the house to keep little hands out!
4- CABINETS:
Cabinets are the places in the house where the most dangerous items are kept, including cooking equipment, bathroom supplies, medication, and hazardous chemicals. At the same time, from the perspective of the youngsters, these are the areas of the house that are beging them to be opened and emptied of the dangerous bottles and tools that are within.
Cabinet locks are similar to the drawer safety locks.
Helpful tip:Even though I keep the medication in a secured cabinet, I use a closed box to keep it inside for extra security and convenience. The same is applicable for cleaning products.
Take a look at these U-shaped cabinet locks if you're looking for low-cost cabinet locks.
5- DRESSERS-NIGHTSTANDS-FURNITURE
HEAVY FURNITURE:
Climbing and exploring are natural instincts in children. They are unaware that heavy furniture might fall over and injure them. It's critical to attach heavy furniture to the wall in case your tiny explorer believes the dresser looks like a fun monkey bar.
On the market, there are several solutions for securing heavy furniture. You can select whichever option suits you. anchor dressers, nightstands, or furniture.
SHARP CORNERS:
Keep your baby's head away from sharp corners, such as those on your coffee table or entertainment center, or any sharp countertop edges you may want to consider. If you don't want to change or rearrange your furniture, you may purchase baby-proofing corner guards for a reasonable price (in a variety of colors to match your furniture) and keep those corners soft and safe for the baby. This is applicable when they are newborns, but much more so when they are toddlers.
6- DOORS:
+ Purchase door pinch protectors to save those little fingers from being smashed.
+ Outside lockers should be used for rooms where you do not want your kid to go.
+ Or Use Baby Door Handle Lock
7- TV-DISHWASHER-FRIDGE:
because of the colors, noises, and excitement on television. Your child is frequently seen sitting right beneath it, gazing up at it. As a result, flat-screen anti-tipping straps should be used to guarantee the TV is properly secured.
Another equipment to consider is baby proofing the fridge. Of course, this is optional, but there are frequent items in there that you don't want your child to get a hold of, such as bottles (probably not what inside the bottle you’re worried about, rather the glass shattering as it hits the floor). In this situation, the fridge lock is the only answer.
Dishwasher: Kids are drawn to the dishwasher for some reason, but it is quite dangerous if they try to climb in or crawl inside. Use the dishwasher safety lock.
Oven: Lock your oven. Remove the towel, and get coverings for your stove knobs if they are within reach.
8- ELECTRICAL CORDS-OUTLETS AND WIRES
Outlet covers are an oldie but a goodie that should be in every house with a wandering crawler (or walker). It's critical to do this step as soon as your baby is mobile, because these eye-level risks will be all over the place, simply waiting for small fingers to touch (or stick things in).
Self-closing outlet covers, in my opinion, are the greatest, especially if you have a very curious and smart toddler who can imitate you with the old outlet caps that can be easily pulled out.
Cords and wires management
When it comes to cables, cords, and wires, management presents multiple benefits. As a perfectionist, I hate the cluttered appearance that wires make in my workspace or TV area. As a result, handling the wires and cables is not just baby proofing, but also house improving.
My first choices for keeping cables and wires out of the way of the baby is to use:
* Cable management box
* Sleeve cable management or cord cover kit...
* Outlet Plug Cover
BONUS TIPS:
+ Make bath time safe. Bath time requires a lot of water and soap, which is, as you are aware, slippery. Dry your baby's feet as soon as she gets out of the tub, and get a non-slip bathtub mat to use when she gets out.
+ Without getting into further measures for baby proofing procedures throughout the house (toilet lock...), I believe that the bathroom door should always be kept locked.
+ Pet belongings: Never leave the baby alone with the family dog, even if you trust the dog.You never know what animals are thinking.
+ Tape the back of the remotes' battery covers to keep the batteries from falling out.
+ Small objects around the house: Babies and young children like to put things in their mouths. That's why it's critical to keep an eye out for little things that find their way into your baby's room or any other room in the house. Small things are dangerous to a baby. This is particularly the case if they have an older sibling (toys and children's items). And infants have no idea when they are choking. Therefore, everything that might be a hazard should be kept out of the baby's reach.
+ Fire gates
+ Keep the plants out of your baby’s reach: the baby is going without a doubt to try to munch them.
+ Prepare for spills and mishaps. Spills and accidents are unavoidable with babies and toddlers. Keep some kid-friendly cleaning wipes and paper towels on hand to assist clear up any mess before your child falls or slips on them.
Mom Tip: In addition to baby-proofing your house, learning about injury prevention and how to respond to your kid in the case of an emergency or accident at home is essential. Can you confidently state that you know what to do if your child is hurt? If not, click HERE to learn all you need to know about choking and injury prevention for babies and young children.
Don't forget to get the free printable checklist to help you out during baby proofing your house.
I hope you found this blog post helpful, mamas. And hopefully, it's going to help you keep those little hands out! haha. After all, we aren't superwomen. And, because most of us work in some capacity, whether from home or outside of it, a little baby proofing may offer you some peace of mind.
If you found this post useful, please share it on your favorite social media platforms to help other new moms keep their babies safe!
Till next time, stay safe and happy, ZAKIA xoxo