Around the world, many new parents have been watching their babies grow while in lockdown. Does this sound familiar to you? Before the global pandemic happened, your little bundle of joy was barely moving. And now, they have mastered the art of crawling and starting to find their feet. If so, then it’s time to baby-proof every room of your house.
If this is your first precious child, you probably realize now that your home isn’t quite as baby-proof as you thought it was back in the days when they couldn’t move. Now they are mobile and even more inquisitive. And now, you are spending more than half your day moving things you had completely forgotten about out of their reach.
Baby Gates Are Your New Best Friends
Gates are your friend. If you have not yet done so, invest in one immediately. Your baby is crawling around the home and exploring new and exciting areas. However, he or she feels no sense of danger. That means baby won’t think twice about falling down the stairs, crawling under your feet, or going into the kitchen when you are in the middle of cooking.
Make sure to measure your doorframes before going out and buying a gate to make sure that they fit. Not all frames measure the same. Therefore, you may have to invest in barriers that extend further than the average, which is anything between 60 and 80cm.
Baby-Proof Your Home Room by Room
Here are tips on how to make every room safe for your baby.
1 – Kitchen
While a baby gate should, in theory, prohibit the little one from getting into places they should not be, it doesn’t harm to baby-proof areas such as the kitchen just in case they do. The obvious measure to take is to invest in child locks on drawers and cupboards, especially those that sharp house objects such as knives.
You may also want to consult the services of kitchen installation experts that can guide you on measures to take in the event of a re-fitting. Not only does this make for as safe a place as possible in case your little bundle of joy finds there way in, but it’s also an excellent excuse to invest in a new kitchen altogether.
2 – Bedroom
Now that your baby has found their feet don’t be surprised if you walk into their room in the morning to see them standing up in the cot, having pulled themselves upon the railing. If they can do this, it may not be too long until they attempt to climb out of the crib.
This, of course, is dangerous – only they don’t know that yet. Most cribs allow for adjustable height. So if your baby is starting to become adventurous, it may be time to consider taking your child’s crib down to the lowest height as one way to baby-proof the nursery. This stops them from being able to swing their leg over the rail and, with that, climbing/falling out of the bed.
3 – Living Room
The living room is where most babies spend the majority of their waking hours. And, even if you are sitting with them observing, the place presents dangers. For instance, the baby can pull over lights or furniture. These things need to be secured or removed. Also, you should be careful about any wires that connect to your devices.
Experienced parents can look in a room and detect danger that new parents or might overlook. Even if you are feeling confident that your home is baby-proofed, don’t be afraid to seek a second opinion from a parent. They may just pick up on something little that you never would have considered.
The Takeaway: Baby-Proof Your Home for Safety
However you are spending your time in lockdown with the members of your household, above all else, we hope that you are keeping safe.
Despite freelancing to make a living, her love is "all things home."
Deborah grew up in a family that grew a large vegetable garden and a fruit orchard, helping her parents pull weeds and can home-grown foods as part of her childhood. In fact, she had no idea that she could purchase veggies and fruits in pre-packed steel cans until she went to college and made a food run.
Today, she lives in Bertie County, North Carolina, an agricultural rural area with more chickens than people. She lives with her husband and two rescue pets a sweet toy fox terrier and a cat who showed up one day and moved into the house. Together, they enjoy DIY projects, furniture refinishing, gardening, and canning.
This blog celebrates all things home.
