No, your child doesn’t take forever to become mobile. He will become mobile before you know. Rather than waiting for the time he begins crawling, baby proof your house beforehand. Get to the level of your baby and stoop low to see the world the way he sees it. You will be amazed to know the view is quite different from how you look at things. Here are common things that may come in the path of your little one on all fours:
Cabinets- Your little monster loves to explore every nook and corner of your house and cabinets can be his favorite. Take out all the sharp objects, medicines, cleaning products and poisonous substances and shift them to a locked cabinet. Childproof safety latches for the cabinets a good idea.
Drawers– Babies can pull out drawers and get it all on themselves. Keep the drawers closed and if they contain anti-baby items, install locks on them and keep them locked.
Cribs- If you notice your baby has started to manage to get out of the crib, make sure you keep the crib mattress at its lowest. Also keep all the crib toys, mobiles, bumper pads and other objects away which he can use to climb up his way out of the crib. Also make sure the crib is placed away from the window.
Flooring– Make your rugs safe for your baby by using a nonskid backing to prevent falls. If there are broken or loose tiles, it is time to fix it.
Electrical outlets– Babies just love inserting their finger into plug outlets no matter how much you tell them not to. They put their fingers in their mouth and then insert it into socket which can cause electrical shock. Apply safety covers or tape the exposed outlets. It’s fine if the electrical outlets are behind heavy furniture.
Bathtub– This is a red zone where you should never (I mean NEVER) leave your baby alone. Not even for a minute. Did you know your baby can drown in even an inch of water? Never keep your baby in the tub with the faucet in his reach. It is best to place nonskid strips so your baby doesn’t slip.
Party clutter- Clear away all the party clutter immediately. This party clutter includes leftover cigarettes, cigarette ash, empty ashtrays, popped balloons, left out drinks and many other such party stuffs that your infant can take in his mouth.
Furniture- If you happen to have shaky furniture, get it repaired as your baby can fall down trying to climb them. Unstable tables, book cases or wall units need to be repaired immediately before your little baby might want to do some adventure on them.
Accident Causing Items
Indoor plants– These toddlers are extremely curious lads who pull and push everything they keep their hands on. Keep these plants out of reach as some of them are actually poisonous.
Garbage cans– Now these garbage cans in the kitchen contain a variety of dangerous stuff. What is that we don’t throw in them? Chicken bones, rotten food, sharp cans, left over food, fruit peels are only few of the things that it contains. Place your garbage can inside a latched cabinet or somewhere high like the counter.
Electrical appliances- Keep all your electrical appliance out of the reach of babies. Make sure you unplug your electric razor, hair dryer and straightening irons after use. Secondly, don’t place the baby’s high chair where he can get hold of cords or kitchen appliances.
Stairs and railings– It is only a mother’s nightmare to see their child tumbling down the stairs. To prevent that from happening, fasten the gates with vertical slats. If you think your child can pass through the railing of the stairs, baby proof it by tying ropes from one end to another so your kid cannot get through. You can even install railing guards.
Pet food- When your pet is eating their food, don’t let your baby go near them. When your pet is not eating the food, simply pick up the dog or cat food dishes from the floor. Secondly, make sure you keep cat litter in a place where your baby can’t go. If you happen to have aquariums, place it in a manner that there is no chance left for a toddler to climb in fall into it.
Pointed corners of furniture– Center tables and coffee tables tend to have sharp pointy corners. To protect your child, cover them with padded guards or cushioned strips.
Windows– These little thinkers are great observers. First they watch their parents open the window and then do it themselves. Take away all the furniture that is near the window so there is no chance left for climbing. Secondly, install window grills to protect your child from tumbling through.
Toilets– Toddlers love the sound of the flush and think of it as something amazing. They peek into it and may fall down into with their heads first. Either keep your washroom locked when not in use or install a toilet lock.
Stoves- Always use the back burners. Burners on the front with hot pan or pots on them have chances of toppling on a curious child. Always position the pot handle towards the back. Toddlers love twisting the stove knobs. Either remove the stove knobs or buy knob covers.
Refrigerators- You probably must have heard of stories where the toddlers or babies get locked inside the fridge and the parents don’t know where their little one is. These crawlies will get inside anything. Install refrigerator locks to prevent this.
Plastic bags: Keep all your plastic bags on the higher cabinet or in a locked cabinet. Your baby playing with a plastic bag is at risk of suffocation.
Magnets: Magnets keep falling off the fridge. Your little crawler can choke on it. Remove all the magnets from your fridge.
Toothpaste: if you are using a fluoride tooth paste, make sure you keep it in a place which is in accessible to your child. Even a pea-size amount is harmful for your baby.
Babyproofing is only a part of protecting your baby. Not leaving him alone is the main part. Keep a constant eye on your little angel.
