14 Must Haves when baby proofing your home!
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Ah, that special moment after weeks of encouragement when your little one starts to move around the house by themselves - a little uncoordinated and cute at first but then suddenly, those arms and legs are propelling them at the speed of light.
It is soon after this joy and love for their accomplishment that you realise just how many pointy edges and slammable doors there are around the house.
It's time to baby proof!
1. Safety Gates
Yes, those things you curse in your friends house when you need a wee but are stuck downstairs unable to open it.
A good place to start is with a gate at the top and the bottom of the stairs (yes, both!) Another popular spot is on the kitchen door where the pointy and chemically things are held.
There are tons of different gates out there, each with different widths and different ways to fix them to the wall. We have a pressure gate into our kitchen and it works perfectly.
2. Fit locks on cupboards and doors
Dangerous chemicals, batteries (especially small watch ones), sharp objects, medicines - make sure they are all locked away in cupboards, preferably up high.
There are various types of locking devices depending on the type of door but a quick browse on amazon will find you what you need.
“great product, sticky like a sticky thing.
Tough as old boots. Toddler is now puzzled why he cant open the cupboard with the bleach in it. He is more determined than before alas these locks have yet to break.”
It is also a good idea to consider putting a lock on your bin. I photographed a cake smash once when the baby was more interested in trying to get things out of the bin than the cake!
Similar could be needed for the toilet seat depending on how determined your little mover is.
3. Check your banister width
If your banister spindles are placed far apart, instal a guard to stop little people falling through the gap. You can either buy a netting or use plexiglass cut to size.
4. Anti door slamming/finger trapping devies
Doors are now not only good for keeping out the drafts - they are now great fun for little hands to push shut!
This simple kind from Amazon fits over the edge of the door.
Until your amazon order arrives, place a thick towel (you'll probably have to fold it over) over the top of the door to stop it from closing completely.
5. Cover sharp corners
Unfortunately learning to crawl does not happen at the same time as learning to look where you're going so covering sharp corners at baby height is essential.
These corner protectors have amazing reviews on Amazon and are much nicer looking than the massive, colourful protectors that I've seen in the past.
6. Fit Child Safe Blinds
Thanks to Make it Safe, a campaign from the British Blind and Shutter Association, all blinds sold after February 2014 must comply with detailed child safety requirements.
If you have blinds fitted before then, your little climber may be at risk from the chain or cord.
Find out if your blinds are safe HERE.
7. Cover plug sockets
Those holes aren't just for charging any more. They are for little fingers and
small metal objects.
You can buy covers that stick into the holes, but there is a little controversy whether these are safe. Alternatively try a casing that covers the whole socket.
8. Block off your fire
You can either buy designs than come in certain sizes to fit specifically around fires or alternatively pick up a baby pen, which can have lots of uses around the house (all though arguably can be moved easier)
To distract little arms from reaching through or pulling at the bars, clip pram toys onto it for a distraction like these from Lamaze.
9. Tidy & hide wiring
If you can't hide your wires, invest in some Cable Tidy's to at least make them a little less appealing to wandering hands.
10. Check your smoke alarm regularly
This one is drummed into to us a lot but so many people are still not in the habit of checking their smoke alarms regularly.
If you want reminders, consider installing a Nest Wifi Smoke Alarm. We have these in our house and they are great because not only do they tell you what room the fire is in, they also give a warning when smoke is detected before going off.
You can then press the button to cancel the alarm before the whole street knows you've burnt the bacon.
11. Get rid of table cloths and runners
Most babies haven't mastered the 'pulling the cloth off of the table and leaving the plates behind' trick yet so avoid any nasty burns or messes by removing anything that dangles from the table.
12. Mark glass doors with stickers
Perhaps more important for the walkers - stick stickers at toddler hight on glass doors to stop them walking into them.
If they do, make sure you're filming it - I'm joking, I'm joking ok?! (but seriously you can get good money for those videos)
13. Secure furniture to the wall
You know those things that came with your IKEA furniture that you ignored every time before? USE THEM!
All it takes is one attempt to climb for something for it to topple over and cause harm.
14. Learn basic first Aid
Because we are only human and mistakes happen. Be prepared for when they do. Take a local baby first aid course and make sure you have a first aid kit of all the essentials in the house.
To find a Baby First Aid course near you, Click Here
For more information about child safety in the home please see:
Child Accident Prevention Trust
The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents
NHS
Making The Link
