It‘s exciting to see your child move; literally. The day your baby begins rocking back and forth on all fours, you know that crawling is just days away. A few days; that’s exactly how long you have to get your house ready for your mobile baby. Baby-proofing your home will allow your child to safely explore newly accessible vistas in your home and free you from worries about safety. Implement these tried and true steps and you will be a certified baby-proof domicile in no time.
- Keep nothing but paper goods under the kitchen sink. No soap, no tools, no vases, no pet food, no plastic bags.
- Install safety latches on all cabinets. These latches make it impossible for your crawling baby to open and explore your cabinets.
- Consider making a cabinet or drawer a treasure chest for your child. Fill it with soft towels, plastic measuring cups or spoons, and small pan lids or pots.
- Cover or pad all hard corners and surfaces. That lovely coffee table or just the corner of the wall can be hazardous.
- Make it a rule; nothing ingestible (and that’s just about everything to your toddler) within your baby’s new reach. Gather cleaning supplies together in a tote and place the tote in an inaccessible area.
- Tie dry cleaning bags, plastic grocery bags, and plastic sheets into knots and throw them away.
- Squeeze open can edges close together so that can lids will not trap tiny fingers.
- Keep a close eye out for dropped change, loose buttons, and other small things that can choke your child.
Keeping your child safe will be a full time job, but these simple steps will help.