Our homes are our safe havens, the place where we feel the most safe and comfortable in all of the world… but when you throw a baby into the mix, it can quickly go from relaxing to chaotic and even dangerous.
Sharp edges, small objects that can be swallowed, heavy objects prone to falling over and electrical outlets everywhere. There’s a lot we need to take care of to create a safe baby proof home. Part of it is just taking precautions, but sometimes you will need tools in place to ensure their safety.
Let’s take a look at the most important pointers on how to baby proof your home so that the newest member of your family can explore safely and you can have some peace of mind!
“We cannot become what we need to be by remaining what we are." – Max de Pree
Furniture
Sharp edges. One of the first steps towards baby proofing your home is looking out for sharp edges. Mind anything that stays at head-height for the baby with sharp edges, such as tables, chairs, racks, etc. You can relocate or get rid of the ones you deem too dangerous, but there are also ways you can “safeguard the edges by using specialized soft tape or bumper guards.
Small objects that can easily fall over. This goes for anything on top of desks and tables like lamps, portraits, cups, plates, candles, etc. Babies get very curious and they will often try to grab or pull these objects, which can lead to them falling on the floor or even on their head. Avoid leaving stuff like this unattended, and ESPECIALLY avoid tablecloths – one pull and everything falls down.
Wobbly objects and furniture. Stools and lamps are the usual culprits here, as they can easily wobble and topple over due to their vertical design. When making a home safe for a baby it’s wise to get rid of these objects or place them in a room where the baby won’t have access that often, since they can be pushed and toppled without much effort.
Electrical
Cover electrical outlets. This is a no-brainer and very, very necessary when you want to baby proof your home. Outlets are spread around the house so be sure to cover every single one that isn’t being used – and do be careful with the ones that are because your baby can still pull on the cables and mess with it.
You can always call child proofing house services if you find any installation too difficult.
Hide cables. There are many practical ways to hide your cables nowadays and you should look into it when you can. Sometimes you can hide them behind walls, under the floor, or with the help of properly installed wall racks.
Appliances. Any sort of electrical appliance – especially kitchen-related ones – should be stored in safe places and never left unattended while still connected to the outlet.
Doors and Windows
Use safety gates. Safety gates are excellent for keeping your baby out of certain rooms or protecting the way up and down the stairs. Or even to the outdoors or to your home office in some cases – anywhere where the baby is not allowed can be blocked.
Use doorstops. Doorstops and door holders are useful for preventing any crushed fingers, especially near the hinges. This is prone to happening even with adults, so it’s a good quality of life addition regardless.
Safeguard windows and curtains. Babies won’t often mess with windows, but at some point they will be able to reach them and it’s important to have some sort of safeguard to prevent them from hurting themselves. A good solution is having to open them from the top, since they’re less likely to ever reach them. Same goes for curtains and drapes, since they can get tangled in them while running around.
Small objects
Drawers. It’s common to have drawers crammed with small objects and it’s a terrible idea to allow your children to have access to them at a very young age. Either get rid of most small objects you deem dangerous or lock the drawer with childproofing latches.
Jewelry. Keep your jewelry safe, stored in locked containers and preferably in a place that’s hard to reach. This is an important step in baby proofing your home because jewelry is too easy to swallow, making them very dangerous!
Trash cans. These can be easily toppled over or even messed with – any small objects found in there could cause trouble… or just make a huge mess. It’s a good idea to invest in lockable covers for your trash cans.
Careful with tablecloth. I mentioned this before, but tablecloths can easily be pulled by a baby, dropping everything that was on the table all at once, possibly even harming them in the process.
Careful with toys that have batteries. In general it’s good to avoid any toys that rely on batteries to work until a certain age, because not only are these considered small enough to be swallowed on accident, they’re extremely toxic and you know how babies like to bite stuff.
Houseplants
Houseplants are totally fine to have around, just be sure you have the non-toxic variants that won’t harm your baby if they happen to ingest a leaf or two. If they’re small, you can keep them out of reach rather easily, but if they’re non-toxic you can display them more freely.
Need help baby proofing your home? Get free quotes today for local handymen that can help you make quick installations!
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