Oh no… THEY ARE ON THE MOVE!
Parents are usually so excited when their baby squirms turn into scooting, crawling, and walking, but that excitement is quickly replaced by a feeling of dread and nervousness.
Now, you can’t take your eyes off your child for a second before they might manage to put something in their mouth that they shouldn’t or open a cabinet that has something dangerous.
Time to baby-proof your home!
Get down on their level
There are going to be plenty of things that are very obvious during the baby-proofing process. Things like cords, outlets, and fragile items within arms reach are what parents typically start with. While those items are an extremely important place to start, there is the possibility that you might miss something. So what do we recommend? Get on their level! No matter how silly it might seem to lay on your belly and look around, you will probably instantly notice things that you didn’t before. Try to do this from multiple places and levels and try to think as your child thinks. You are sure to save yourself some “oh crap” moments later on!
Keep dangerous items in one place and lock them up tight!
A common mistake parents make, especially with their first baby, is keeping potentially dangerous or poisonous items in different spots around the home. You might have your bleach in one place, bug spray somewhere else, and cleaning products in a third. A great strategy to help baby-proof your home is to get these items all in one place and make them extremely inaccessible. Putting them on a top shelf or far out of the way, in addition to traditional locks, will help prevent accidentally forgetting to seal up a cabinet or closet and make things much safer. Even if this spot is not convenient for you (like the top shelf in a closet) your baby’s safety is FAR more important!
Know that your child will still find a way to get an owie, and that is ok.
I think most parents would love to wrap their children in bubble wrap from head to toe and make sure that they never get hurt, but unfortunately, that isn’t very realistic. While you might go above and beyond to make every nook and cranny in your home safe, we have some bad news… your child is going to find a way to get an owie. Just know that if your child does end up with a scrape or bruise, it’s not your fault. No house can ever be completely baby-proofed. Stressing yourself out to assure every corner is a padded and item is picked off the coffee table is just going to drive you crazy. Baby proofing is all about making sure your home is as safe as possible without making your home unlivable. There is a balance, you just need to find it.
Having your child start to move around is an extremely fun, yet stressful time. Your child is eager to start exploring, while you just want them to stay in one place long enough for you to go to the bathroom. Baby proofing your home is the first step you take as a parent in giving your child a little bit of independence while giving yourself a little peace of mind. By following these tips, your home will be a safe place for your child to explore and enjoy!
