How to baby-proof your life
When Baby starts crawling or walking, anything in your house is fair game. Babies love exploring, touching, and tasting all that your home has to offer. There are lots of things hanging around that you might not even realize are choking hazards! Here’s a guide to keeping your home safe from the moment Baby gets back from the hospital:
- Don’t forget the basics: Make sure you have a functioning fire extinguisher, smoke alarms, and carbon-monoxide detectors in case of emergency.
- Make sure some things are off limits: Cover electrical outlets, put safety gates at the top and bottom of your stairs, and put dangerous substances like paint or detergent on a high shelf.
- Reorganize your kitchen: Put safe items like plastic containers, paper towels, and sponges on lower shelves and anything sharp or suffocation hazards where Baby can’t reach. Unplug appliances when you aren’t using them and keep cords on the counter. Consider plastic latches for cabinets or covers for stove knobs so she doesn’t play with fire!
- Secure your furniture: Any table or chair with a sharp corner should be covered with a cushioned guard. Mount any shelves, frames, and TVs so they won’t fall and make sure the cords for your window blinds are out of reach.
- Hide little items that Baby could swallow: Paper clips, thumb tacks, loose change, and more. Don’t forget to move liquids like shampoo, makeup, and alcohol where she can’t get to them.
Take a little time during your pregnancy to look around your house in the mindset of a crawling or walking toddler. Every item is a new discovery that needs to be investigated! You should create a forgiving environment for all your little one’s epic journeys around the house.
