Children are amazing at finding forgotten items on the floor. While it’s great when they pick up that little screw that you need to put something back together, but it’s also dangerous because that little screw will immediately go into a mouth or up a nose. It’s vital to babyproof your house, and it’s not as overwhelming as you might think. The key is to start thinking like a child.
Take a Tour of the Home – On Your Knees
Everything you see around your home is at an adult’s level, but the view is entirely different from the floor. When you crawl around on the floor, you’ll see the world the way your son or daughter does. This is when you’ll realize that those elegant curtains that pool on the floor look like an inviting cave to hide in for children, and that can lead to accidents or even strangulation. It’s when you’ll start to understand why electrical outlets look like they might be fun to play with. As you go through the home and take in this new viewpoint, it will be easier to find and address different hazards.
Time to Consider Sharp Edges
The average home is full of hazards, and some only make themselves apparent after an accident. A simple wood coffee table looks innocent enough, but a toddler who falls at the right angle can hit his head and wind up with stitches. There are a few ways to address the problem of sharp angles on raised fireplace hearths and coffee tables. You can buy special padded bumpers that are cut to fit and stuck directly to the surface. There are also websites that sell padded table covers with elastic bases. The cloth softens the table edges while the elastic keeps it firmly on the table.
Handling the Stairs
Stairs are enough to give any parent of a crawling baby a heart attack. You have visions of your precious child falling down those stairs, and you’ll do anything to prevent that. Rather than pressure-mounted gates that can be pushed out of position by a determined toddler, opt for gates that screw into the wall. It’s a chance to use some power tools, and even the most creative toddler won’t be able to push it out of place.
What About the Bathroom?
You don’t want to consider the statistics on children drowning in the home. You just want to keep your little princess safe. The simplest solution is often the most effective. Buy childproof doorknob covers and put them on all of the bedroom and bathroom doors. Keep these doors closed when no one is in the rooms, especially the bathroom. This way, you won’t have to deal with the hassle of toilet lid locks.
Say Good-Bye to Clutter
The key to childproofing is diligence. Choking hazards are everywhere, and you’ll spent the better part of each day picking them up off the floor. It’s easier to spy items on the floor and get them up if you keep the house clean and free of clutter. You’ll also avoid the heartbreak of having your little baby break something that you really love.
When you head to the store, you’ll find a vast array of child-proofing gear. It’s all excellent for keeping your baby out of certain rooms and prevent them from playing with electrical outlets. However, there are other hazards lurking around the home. You may feel silly crawling around on your hands and knees, but it’s the best way to spy those long cords, unstable chairs and other hazards that our little guy is sure to find. After you’ve childproofed the home, you’ll be able to relax a little more and start really enjoying this amazing time.