Congratulations on your bundle of joy! Babies are loving, cuddly and just absolutely adorable, but are a lot of work. As a parent, you have to be ready and prepared for your little one to grab everything in sight. While many items are safe for your baby, many other objects pose a serious threat and can cause serious harm. That’s why we made this guide on how to baby proof your home.
Close Plugs
Be on the lookout for curious little hands whenever your child is moving around. Many little ones see outlets and either want to plug something in, especially since they watch their parents do it or try to stick their little fingers in. Available plugs are an electrical hazard to your baby. To avoid your baby getting harmed, you need to close up those plugs with outlet plug covers. Cover all outlets that are low enough for your child to reach. It is best to get a couple of packs of these covers because the number of outlets in a house will surprise you.
Add Baby Locks on Cabinets and Drawers
Children are curious little beings. They can get their hands on anything as long as if it is near their grasp. Once they learn how to open cabinets and drawers, they will grab every single item they can reach. Whether the object is safe or not, you do not want little hands grasping because you do not want your little one to get hurt. That’s where baby locks come in hand. As soon as your child learns how to open and close cabinets and drawers, you need to install baby locks to keep your kiddo out. There are many different ways to baby lock your cabinets and drawers like magnetic locks, strap locks and more.
Use Baby Gates
If you want to keep your little mover out of specific rooms or areas, then baby gates and play yards will be your next best friend. These gates lock in place and are high enough to keep little ones out (until they learn how to climb.) There are many different gates and yards out on the market. You can find indoor, outdoor, tall, short, stair-friendly, portable and more in-store and online.
Place Bulky Covers on Door Knobs
Once children start getting a better grip on items, they will learn how to open and close doors. While indoor doors are not always the problem, doors that lead to outside are a huge problem. Little ones can leave your house and roam around being in potential danger from animals and cars. You can avoid this by buying bulky door knob covers.
Lock Sliding Doors
Regular doors are not the only doors you have to worry about. Toddlers can open sliding doors finding escape to the outside world. Instead of letting your little one find a way out, you need to install a separate lock for sliding doors. There are a couple of options that you can use for sliding doors like sticky locks or even a lock stick. Depending on the type of sliding door you have, you will need to test each one to see which one works best for your door.
Tie Up Loose Cords and Strings
Loose cords and strings are a suffocation hazard for infants. In past studies, one in eight children injury themselves with hanging strings while about one child per month dies from loose cords. We do not want any child to go through this, so you need to tie up lax strings. The most common places to look out for are blinds, electrical cords and any other hanging cords. Tie everything high enough to where your child will not have access to it.
Once your home is baby-proofed, your child can safely play around. If you need help baby proofing your home, contact one of our home contractors at Valor Home Services today.
