When you’re expecting your first baby,
everything is exciting. There is simply
so much to learn, do any buy to be ready for your bundle (or bundles) of joy. And, although you may not realise it yet, you
should get as much done as you possibly can before you head off to the hospital. Not only will the entire household be exhausted
afterwards, it will seem as though you have no time once there’s a baby in the house.
That’s why it’s sometimes called baby
proofing, instead of child proofing.
Because, although you don’t really need to do any proofing until your baby can move around on her own, you should
revamp your home while you child is still a tiny baby. Or, even better, beforehand.
The Stairs
– This is absolutely the first area you should consider
when baby proofing your home. Other rooms
of your home can wait – even the kitchen if it has a door – but you will need
to protect your baby from the stairwells of your home before he can sit and roll
by himself. Remember, accidents can
happen on both levels of your house (or all levels if you have a particularly large
home). Positioning a safety gate at only
the top or bottom of your home leaves your baby vulnerable.
You must ensure that there are safety gates
at both levels. Additionally, you should
choose a gate that is affixed to the wall (rather than a pressure feature) as you
never want this gate to become dislodged.
And there should be no bottom stabiliser bar as these can cause you and your
baby to trip.
The Kitchen
– After the stairs, this is the most important part
of your home to secure. For children under
the age of four, this is the room where the most serious home accidents occur. And, it’s little wonder; there are sharp things,
hot things, poisonous substances and running water. If you stop to think about it, this room will
start to resemble a battle zone. Of
course, you cannot do without a kitchen for the next few years, so you’ll need
to make sure you’ve got every corner of this space covered.
Ensure that you have appliance locks for every
one of your large appliances. Move smaller
gadgets, such as microwaves and toasters as high or as far back as possible. Make certain that you have door and drawer latches
on everything that opens – and begin using
them immediately. And remember, never
leave turn your back on a child in the kitchen; accidents can happen too quickly.
Bathrooms
– Except for the possibility of a master ensuite setup,
you are likely to have a door on every bathroom in your home. And that’s fortunate because this room is just
as dangerous as the kitchen can be. All
of the same troubling threats can often be found in the bathroom, and this one also
offers toilets and bathtubs to climb and fall off of. While you will likely leave the doors to your
bathrooms closed, you should still baby proof this room – just in case.
Just as you would do in the kitchen, makes sure
that lower level of doors and drawers have locks or latches, and make sure to use
them. You will probably want to invest in
a toilet seat lid, as well. Not only is this
a drowning hazard, a falling lid can be quite dangerous. And, always make sure to drain the bath as soon
as you’re finished.
Lounge
and Living Areas – Although the most serious accidents
affected children under the age of four years occur in the kitchen, the lounge
is where the largest number of accidents occur.
It’s hardly surprising when you consider that more time is likely to be
spent in this room, and, of course, it is not always as easy to tuck objects away
in your lounge as it is in the kitchen.
Make certain that any climbable furniture is
pushed away from the windows and that they will not tip backwards under the weight
of n inquisitive child. Add bumper pads
to the edges of coffee tables and other furniture. Ensure that photos, mirrors and others
wall-hung objects are firmly affixed to the wall. Large, free-standing furniture, such as cupboards
and bookshelves may also need to be attached to avoid toppling forward. And yes, it is finally time to do something
about all those cables behind the tele.
Doors,
Drawers and Other Hazards
Throughout your home, you will want to make
sure that doors and drawers that can be locked are locked. Any drawers that cannot be locked will need additional
latches – even if they are empty. These
drawers can be pulled out completely which can be a hazard on its own, and something
you will truly need to avoid if there is anything (even a pin or paperclip in
them).
Doors that provide access to the garden or garage
must absolutely be closed and locked at all times. If you have solid doors that are left open
son occasion in order to ventilate your home, then you will need to invest in additional
security gates to protect these areas. Unless
your garage never has a car in it,
you should not allow your child access to this area unless you are carrying her
to the car. This space can be just as frightening
as the kitchen when it comes to keeping your children safe.
Remember to take a look around at all the plug
points in your home; it’s probably been a long time since these looked interesting
to you, but they will be fascinating to your baby.
And, don’t forget, you will want to get
started early on the task of baby proofing.
The first few months of your baby’s life will simultaneously fly past and
drag on in a state of half slumber. If
you do have any questions, make sure you ask them; there is nothing more
important than your baby’s safety, and you’ll not want to take any chances with
that – and neither would we.
For more information about baby proofing
your home then please visit the Lindam website - http://www.lindam.com/category/safety-accessories.html
