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    2018
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The Ultimate Guide To Baby Proofing Your Home

The Ultimate Guide To Baby Proofing Your Home

Let’s talk about the birds and the bees, ladies and gentlemen.

Well, maybe not in detail, but more on what comes after—babies! You know…those little, chubby bundles of joy that fill your home with unconditional love and laughter.

You want NOTHING MORE than to protect your little lovebugs from everything the world is going to throw at them. But, what about the dangers in your own home?

Every year, 9.2 MILLION babies are sent to the ER due to unintentional injuries, just in the U.S. It’s time to babyproof! Make sure to follow our tips and home handyman hacks so you can rest easy knowing that your baby is as safe as can be.

The living room

Imagine your living room from your child’s (or future child’s) perspective. Once they learn how to crawl, walk, and run, your living room turns into the world’s funnest Ninja Warrior course. They don’t know what not to pull on or climb up, so it’s your mission to get those dangers figured out and managed ahead of time.

  • Starting from the ground up, if you have hardwood or tile floors consider purchasing a plush carpet to cushion any falls. Trust us—they’re going to happen.
  • Check the sturdiness of your furniture, too. Are your cabinets bolted into the wall? Is your TV stand properly secured? It’s a terrifying fact, but a child is sent to the emergency room EVERY 24 MINUTES due to falling TVs or tipping furniture. DO NOT let your child be another statistic!
  • Speaking of TVs, now is the time to untangle those cords and find a neat place for them out of sight. This goes for any wires or cords in the house, INCLUDING window treatment cords that tend to dangle a little too low.
  • Finally, if your living room furniture consists of sharp edges, invest in baby corner bumpers. These are available in a variety of colors and designs to match any décor. There’s no excuse not to cover sharp corners up and secure furniture down!

The kitchen

Let’s move on to the kitchen, where there are “fun cabinets” to climb and “pretty-colored chemicals” to explore…

  • Child locks are a DREAM come true for the kitchen and bathroom! Add them to all cabinets, doors, even certain appliances that children have no business getting into.
  • Chemical products can look the same as toys, so they should be locked up tight and left in a high space. Even better, try to purchase natural and non-toxic cleaning supplies! There are even some you can mix at home so you’re 100% sure of its contents.
  • Some things that may not be in the forefront of everyone’s mind are small magnets and plastic bags. These are MAJOR choking hazards that are usually kept in the lower tiers of your kitchen space. That makes them easily accessible to curious little hands.

The nursery or bedroom

The nursery is where you should feel most at ease when your child is crawling around. It’s meant to be the plush and comforting room where (hopefully) your baby will sleep the night away. Here’s how you can keep it that way:

  • Be wary of second-hand items, such as cribs or rocking chairs, unless you can verify that they’re equally sturdy as a new piece.
  • And speaking of cribs, make sure the ones you do choose have fixed sides and DO NOT give your baby a pillow!
  • Mobiles are great for infants, but as babies learn to stand be sure to take these down to avoid choking hazards. Similarly, keep the wall that you put the crib against free of decoration. This is also in case something like frames slip and fall.
  • Staying in the realm of decoration, toy chests may look aesthetically pleasing, but think about what would happen if a heavy door slammed on little fingers. AVOID heavy furniture and containers whenever you can!
  • Finally, purchase a baby monitor! That way you’ll always be able to watch your little loved one with ease.

Around the house

In general, there are safety measures you can take in every room of your home. The most obvious is probably plugging up exposed outlets. You’d be AMAZED how many outlets your home has hidden away…make sure to do a thorough sweep. Window locks help to make sure windows stay shut and keep fingers out of harm’s way, too.

Speaking of closing things up, keep all doors CLOSED whenever possible! When children start to crawl, there’s no telling where they could end up!

Like our quick-reference baby proofing checklist? Share it on Facebook! And give us a call if any of you Keller-area families are ready to get some of these baby proofs installed!

To read more, check this article out.

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