Featured
Having a baby is an absolute blessing ―especially when you get to see them growing up and learning things. But it isn’t that easy to adapt your space and lifestyle to their behaviours. So, babyproofing your home is the best thing you can do to make sure they won’t hurt themselves by mistake. Plus, you won’t be worried all the time when you’re away for a few minutes. So, here are a few tips to help you make the perfect home for your family!
Before getting into detail…
…Make sure that your house is overall a safe space. Fix everything that’s been broken or not functioning well so that you eliminate any risk of them getting in contact with hazardous objects. Also, be wary of the heavy objects around the home because kids might pull up on furniture (for example, the televisions that are now very easy to move around), and they might fall and hurt your kid.
Smoke and carbon monoxide detectors
Check your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors to confirm they’re functional, and if your house is older, it would be best to ask for a professional’s advice regarding lead exposure. Know that even during pregnancy, exposure to lead can be risky for brain development, so you better solve this issue as fast as possible. And now, let’s check every room for safety.
Kitchen
The kitchen can be very dangerous due to all the sharp cabinets, tables, cutlery, and appliances. But don’t worry, because you won’t have to make significant changes, although one thing is mandatory to do, and that is childproof cabinet locks. You have a variety to choose from:
- Magnetic locks that are installed inside cabinets and drawers;
- Adhesive strap locks that you can use for almost anything;
- Spring-action locks that are installed inside of cabinets and released by holding the cabinet and pressing down on the latch simultaneously;
- Slide locks that are designed for double-door cabinets, tied together until released by pushing two surfaces;
Another helpful babyproofing item is a stove-knob cover so that your kids cannot turn on the stove when they learn how to stand. And, to prevent them from slipping or messing with your rugs, you can find a non-slip rug pad to stick under.
Regarding your cleaning supply, know that the colourful bottles and pleasant scents might attract your kid, so it would be best to keep these in hidden places where your kids cannot reach them.
Transferring cleaning products to other containers is not advisable because even if they’re plain and don’t stand out, it’s still dangerous as it may happen to forget or not be aware of what’s in the container.
Living room
The living room can be dangerous in terms of falls, so check your furniture and make sure there’s no chance of them climbing somewhere high. Your electrical outlets and cords should be secured with childproof covers. There are stick-on corner cards you can try for sharp furniture, but cleaning upholstery will also be a problem, so look for slipcovers that you can wash and reuse.
If you can have an open space or want to be able to see your kid all the time, movable walls are the best solutions to create a high-end design that allows you to see everything around the space where your child is playing or sleeping. Such a wall provides a selection of material finishes and versatile combinations to fit into your house’s aesthetics.
A movable wall partition balances transparency and privacy so that your space will be familiar enough for when you’re spending time with your kid and professional enough for when you have guests and family over. Remember, having a kid doesn’t mean that you’ll have to give up on your dream house, only that you’ll have to adapt it a little bit.
Bathroom
You might also keep your bathroom supplies and medications here, so don’t forget to place them somewhere hard to reach. If you think your kid can’t open containers and such, know that kids learn rapidly from parents, so they might be able to open everything they want to. Furthermore, you might want to have a toilet lock to keep your baby away from drinking or getting stuck in the toilet.
Do not keep appliances around your bathroom or lock them in a high cabinet to ensure there’s no electrocution risk. You don’t know when they learn to plug in devices, so lock them or replace them. Don’t forget about the bathtub ― have a non-slip mat, see if a bathing seat is necessary and have a bath thermometer to check the water and avoid burns.
General advice on babyproofing
Almost everything can be poisonous for your kid to ingest, so make sure you’re getting new habits of clearing cosmetics and shampoos off sink and tube ledges, keeping alcohol away and checking to see if any of your houseplants are poisonous. It would be best always to keep your house clean, but we know it’s not easy to be a parent, so don’t put too much pressure on yourself if something’s not perfect. Sometimes, all you need is safety gates at the entrance of every room so that the baby is limited from leaving and hurting themselves.
Also, if your kid loves to pull things down, skipping tablecloths, curtains, and other textiles around the house would be best because they’ll only count as another chore that will make your life a bit harder. It all depends on how energetic your kids are.
If you have enough room, you can create a special space for them to play, so you know where to find and let them when you’ve been busy. You can include lights and music to keep them entertained and have all their favourite toys around so they’ll never get bored.
Final thoughts
Babyproofing your house may seem challenging, but it’s necessary if you want to be less worried about letting your kid roam around the house unsupervised. Plus, you’re doing it for the sake of their safety, so it’s better to prevent than to cure, as the old saying goes.
