As you prepare for your new arrival, your home may feel like a safe haven, yet it abounds with potential dangers to curious little ones. Your infant will be off and exploring before you know it, but by taking a few precautions and installing a few protective measures before bringing your baby home, you can ensure his or her safety right from the start.
Cover Outlets and Secure Cabinets
Once your baby starts to crawl, many electrical outlets are going to be within his or her reach. Prevent electrical shocks by placing protective outlet covers on every exposed socket. These simple covers are easily placed, but they are very difficult to pull out and they are deigned in a neutral shade that will not catch your baby’s eye.
Cabinets throughout your home, especially those in the kitchen, bathrooms and utility areas, contain an array of chemicals that are highly toxic if ingested. Household cleaners, automotive fluids, detergents, insecticides, rodenticides, gardening products, medications, soaps, perfumes and a number of other items will pose devastating consequences for curious tasters. Install baby-proof latches on every cabinet and drawer in your home, keeping in mind that as your toddler grows, he or she will be able to access higher levels. By securing upper level kitchen cabinets, you will deter young children from climbing on the countertops to help themselves to sweet treats and endangering themselves to possible falls or stovetop burns.
Block All Stairs, Secure All Doors and Windows
For a crawling baby, a fall from only two steps up can result in injury. Installing baby gates across all stairways will block his or her access. For staircases within the living space of the home in which your baby may have access to either level, remember to block the top and bottom of the stairs. Remember to include basement stairs as well, even if they are only accessible through an opened door. Once toddlers can reach doorknobs, all it takes is one success at door opening to gain access to a treacherous flight of downward steps.
Be sure that doors latch securely when closed. Whether you have chic stainless steel door handles, or old-fashioned brass handles, you will want to secure these handles with level handle locks, designed to prevent little ones from opening the door without compromising the look of these lever door handles.
Keep all furniture away from windows so that climbers will not fall into them. Tie the cords of window blinds up high to prevent accidental strangulation.
Prevent Pinches and Bumps
When your baby makes the transition from crawling to walking, he or she is bound to topple, especially when attention is focused on something appealing as opposed to the task of walking. Soft impact corner cushions are available to affix onto the corners of tables, counters and shelf units. This will reduce the impact of falling headfirst into the sharp corner of the coffee table. Foam inserts are available for placing in the openings on hinged cabinet doors to keep probing fingers unharmed.
By devoting a weekend before your baby is born to baby proofing your home, you can bring home your new bundle of joy with confidence in the knowledge that your household environment is secured, safe and ready for him or her when the crawling and exploring begins.
