Sunday, April 28, 2024

How to Baby-Proof Your House: Detailed Step-By-Step Guide

how to baby proof house

As big of a pain as it is to replace the cover, it’s far better than those individual outlet covers that plug in. If small enough, those individual covers can be a choking hazard if they got loose. According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, the majority of injuries and deaths from tap-water scalds involve the elderly and children under the age of 5. Babyproofing the home means staying close-by and being observant, of course, but it also gives you the chance to teach your tot that some items are off-limits. When she goes for a dangerous item, use the opportunity to firmly say, “No, that’s not safe to touch. Here’s a toy you can play with instead.” And when you can, use warning words like “ouch!

How to Baby-Proof Your Kitchen

Welcome to the digital age and the ever-expanding issue of cord management. They’re messy and unsightly but even worse for your child, they also pose a strangulation hazard. Get ‘em up and out of the way with ties, tape, or covers designed to keep your cords close and your child safe. Attach a changing pad with high sides and a safety strap—like the Summer Infant Contoured Changing Pad—to your changing table to prevent tumbles. In this room, function is the most important thing to keep in mind, says Wood. "Have proper storage for everything in there if this is the main room for taking care of your baby," she suggests.

how to baby proof house

HOW TO BABY PROOF YOUR HOUSE: 30 BABY PROOFING TIPS YOU MUST KNOW

Babies are naturally curious creatures with a penchant for putting everything into their mouths, tugging on items, pushing buttons and playing with various objects to figure out how they work. From baby’s perspective, this is all developmentally appropriate, as they’re simply trying to learn more about the world around them. However, things that adults use daily may pose great dangers to baby—so it’s up to you to keep baby safe by properly baby proofing your home and vehicles.

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When baby proofing your kitchen, the first thing to focus on is under the sink. This is the place where many people put cleaning supplies, many of which are extremely dangerous for kids and adults alike. It makes sense to tackle most baby proofing tasks before your baby starts crawling, and you may like to take on some of the bigger jobs during pregnancy to get them out of the way before your baby’s arrival. You might find you have more energy for baby proofing during the second trimester of your pregnancy, between around 14 and 27 weeks pregnant.

Bathroom

Tiny House New Family Baby Proof DIY Photos - Apartment Therapy

Tiny House New Family Baby Proof DIY Photos.

Posted: Fri, 03 May 2019 07:00:00 GMT [source]

Start childproofing your home by getting on all fours and crawling to get a baby’s-eye view of the many dangerous temptations that lurk, DiMaggio Walters says. Keep in mind that anything that fits through a toilet paper tube is a potential choking hazard, and dangerous items can easily get hidden in deep carpets, corners and under cabinets. Childproofing your home can be daunting at first, but there are ways to tackle it efficiently and without stress. Give yourself enough time to tackle the project room by room to make it less overwhelming. Plus, there are many baby proofing products on the market that can be helpful to have on hand before getting started.

You don't have to have your house fully babyproofed when you bring your baby home. In fact, some things (like installing safety gates, corner guards, and cabinet latches) may make more sense when your baby gets mobile. Wellard also tells parents to use caution around stairways, placing safety gates at the tops of stairs, or closing and locking doors that lead to stairwells. "Take an old toilet paper tube — if (the item) can fit in there, then it's a choking hazard and it can't be around the baby," says Wellard. "Look around your house for small objects — if you have older kids especially, then you have to be careful about small toys and things like Legos. Those should stay in an older child's bedroom." A child can drown in as little as an inch or two of water, so you don’t want to take any chances when childproofing the bathroom.

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You can start baby-proofing your home as early as the second or third trimester of pregnancy to as late as four or five months postpartum. The best advice we can give is to make sure your home is baby-proofed for all the explorations ahead. From your kitchen and living room to your bedrooms and bathrooms, keeping your child free from injury at home can be a lot less problematic with the right baby-proofing tactics and plan in place. Pieces of plastic from diapers can be torn off and present a choking hazard.

Bathrooms are the prime location to store medicines, vitamins, and other health-related items, especially when they come with built-in medicine cabinets. One of the biggest risks to children is coming into contact with medication and other potentially fatal chemicals in the bathroom. Experts at the American Academy of Pediatrics recommend baby proofing by following a checklist and addressing the rooms in your home one at a time. The little holes that accommodate your electrical appliances are unfortunately perfect for tiny digits. Remove temptation with outlet covers but beware of the cheap plastic inserts, which can become choking hazards.

Here's How Much It Costs To Baby-Proof a Home - Yahoo Finance

Here's How Much It Costs To Baby-Proof a Home.

Posted: Thu, 26 Aug 2021 07:00:00 GMT [source]

Both big and small appliances should be kept out of kids’ reach, and so should spice jars that can be broken. Don’t forget the stove—once babies turn into curious toddlers and can reach higher, you may want to get a stove protector or oven knob covers. While you’re making your home as safe as possible for your child, make an emergency phone number list, too.

An adjustable, portable mesh gate can also make it easy to set up a temporary barrier when you are visiting friends or family members that don't have a well-childproofed home. Securing the stairs in your home to prevent falls is another essential part of childproofing your home. Even if you’re crazy diligent, your kid will likely topple off a stair or 2. But instead of replacing every stair in your home with an elaborate block and tackle system (as in boats, not NFL), gates are the way to go. Make sure you use the kind that are held in place by more than just pressure; those are easily bullied into breaking.

Lead paint can cause physical and mental development issues for children under 6. Homes built before 1978 have a significant risk of containing lead paint. Your kid’s about to be crawling, if they aren’t already, which means you can’t put off the baby-proofing process any longer. The genius home hackers over at Real Simple have come up with a baby-proofing checklist that runs through basics like baby-proofing drawers room-by-room and makes the whole process, well, yeah. Besides the obvious, there are a few baby-proofing precautions you may not have thought of; the key takeaways are listed below.

If not, make sure it’s in an area that’s not easily accessible to children. Lowering your water heater temperature is important to protect you from accidentally drawing a bath that’s too hot. If an older baby can reach the hot faucet, it will also prevent them from being scalded. Experts recommend turning your water heater down to a max of 120 degrees Fahrenheit1 . Baby gates are also great for blocking off any stairs in the home.

Consider which potential hazards your child may be able to access in your kitchen. If your home layout is anything like mine, you likely have an open-concept kitchen. This means even if you are in the living room, your mobile baby can easily find a way to the cabinets or pantry and your typical doorway gate won't be an option. Baby proofing doesn’t just stop at your front door—ensuring that your garage and car are clear of any hazards is also part of the deal. In fact, your vehicle is the first place baby will encounter on their way home from the hospital, so it’s important to brush up on car seat safety basics.

how to baby proof house

Many homes have fireplaces, and although it is nice to have a fire going on a cold night, it is important to keep your kids safe from the fire. You should not depend on a screen to keep your kids from falling out of a window. Your stove can be a big hazard to your kids, who can get burned by food that is cooking on the stove or turn on the burners and get seriously burned. It’s also important to test these devices to ensure that they’re working properly and communicating. Most models now have sealed batteries that last for 10 years, so if you’re still replacing your batteries, it might be time for an upgrade.

There should be an alarm on every floor of your house, primarily near the areas where children and adults might sleep, as well as in the basement or wherever the furnace or gas appliances reside. You’re probably not ready for the slamming doors that come with raising teenagers, and neither are your little one’s fingers. Use doorknob locks, hinge guards, doorstops, pinch guards, and other simple gadgets to prevent passage and protect your toddler.

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