Safeguarding your child is of utmost importance as they become mobile and explore their world around them.
Make sure that all potential choking hazards, such as hair ties and button batteries, are out of reach. Anchor lamp cords or drapery cords to make sure they remain below 6 inches in length and out of the reach of children.
Make Your Home Child-Proof Ready
Crawling infants can injure themselves when reaching out for things they shouldn’t, while falling down stairs or from tipping furniture poses serious dangers. Every 24 minutes, one baby is taken to emergency due to an incident involving tipping furniture or electronics – thus it’s vital that we take some basic steps in order to keep your child safe.
Start by reviewing your home from a child’s point of view. An effective way of doing this is crawling around on hands and knees to take an in-depth look at what a toddler would find attractive or hazardous.
Make sure curtain cords, electrical cords and other hazards are out of reach of young children, with drawers and cabinets secured with locks to keep drawers shut or locked, hazardous items like cleaning products and laundry detergents safely locked up or stored away, hair and beauty supplies on higher shelves and batteries containing lead safely out of reach – plus matches and lighters which could accidentally strike young fingers when falling from high shelves!
Before your baby arrives, it’s advisable to complete any large renovation or remodeling projects so they won’t interfere with learning how to parent. Reevaluate safety measures frequently as your child grows and develops new abilities – for instance a gate placed at the top of stairs may become unsafe once she begins climbing them.
Check for Choking Hazards
Once babies become mobile, it’s essential that all areas of the home be inspected for potential choking hazards. Coins, pen caps and button batteries may become swallowed by infants if placed into their mouths and may pose serious danger. To make sure everyone remains safe, get down on baby level to search under furniture and behind couch cushions for such objects that could pose potential threats.
Due to young children’s tendency of placing everything they come across into their mouths, be sure to store all cleaning products, medicine and disinfecting solutions in child-resistant containers that can withstand being dropped on them by curious toddlers. You should also use stove knob covers on all burners so a curious toddler won’t turn them on by accident and if any tall or heavy furniture must be anchored securely to walls to reduce risk of them collapsing on your children.
Install non-slip rugs in high traffic areas of the home and install carpet to provide extra cushion for any falls by baby. Being parents changes how we see our surroundings; seeing potential dangers that were previously unnoticed becomes clear. It is wise to periodically revisit each room to reassess them and make any needed modifications.
Be sure to install and test working smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, and learn choking first aid and CPR as part of an emergency plan.
Keep Toys Away from Babies
Small objects you might consider harmless could pose a choking hazard for your baby. Check your home for items that could be stolen easily and brought into the crib, such as lighters, coins, uninflated balloons, hairpins, key chains, tubes of lip balm, watch batteries or small toys (such as Lego pieces). Clean or vacuum floors regularly and add cushioned corner guards to furniture such as coffee tables. Also tether bookshelves or dressers that tend to tip against walls as well as adding TV tethers for safety purposes. Maintain the safety of cleaning products, medications and disinfecting solutions by locking and securing them; bright labels may entice young children, making these potentially poisonous solutions appealing. Install a child safety lock on closet doors housing scissors or sharp items as well as nightstand and bathroom items such as razor blades, curling irons or ties in order to safeguard these potentially lethal solutions from being consumed by curious hands.
Fix broken windows, leaky hot water heaters and test for lead paint (if necessary if you live in an older house). Also make sure that smoke and carbon monoxide detectors are updated as your baby will soon begin crawling around. Finally, create a designated Princess room so as not to ruin their fun when their little sister arrives!
Keep Pet Supplies Away from Babies
Before having children, it is essential that all pet supplies are stored out of reach of babies who are crawling and walking, to prevent them from coming in contact with chemicals or medications that could be dangerous to their health. Cabinets containing cleaning supplies should be secured using baby safety locks to keep children from accessing these chemicals or medications accidentally; toys or bones belonging to your pets should also be out of reach since children could choke on them if left within reach.
Stay vigilant for items that could be hazardous to pets, such as toxic plant species or poisonous cleaners. Also consider having your home tested by a professional for lead paint (a common issue in homes built before 1978).
Once a baby enters your house, it’s the ideal opportunity to tackle any major projects or repairs you might have put off until now. From checking and replacing broken windows, installing smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, and clearing outlets of cords and plugs – to adding cushioned corner guards on furniture pieces to painting low-VOC wood surfaces using nontoxic paint for optimal child safety – to placing safety gates at both ends of stairs to prevent an infant from climbing over them or falling down them – now is an ideal opportunity to tackle such things before another baby comes along!
