Whether you have a newborn or a baby on the way, its never too early to start thinking of ways to baby proof your home. Every baby is full of curiosity and will try to explore every inch of the house. It may seem overwhelming trying to think of every way to protect your newborn, but we have a great list about how to keep your baby safe and put your mind at ease.
1. Around the Nursery Be sure to keep all items such as baby bibs, pacifiers, and small toys out of the cot while the baby is sleeping there. You can never be too certain when one item may become a hazard in the midst of your babys tossing and turning. If there is any furniture like a book shelf or dresser, nail it down or test it out to make sure it cannot topple over on your baby. Try to keep all breakable items to a minimum and absolutely out of your babys reach. One of the best things you can do is keep the entire nursery neat and clutter free, especially the floor, to maintain the safest environment possible.
2. Heat Hazards As hazardous as heat appliances are known to be, they can also be easy to forget about. Your oven, stove top, and clothing iron are common hazards to keep an eye on. Even though you may think a baby is too small to reach an oven door or stove top, it would be a mistake to think they wont find a way. Babys have been known to climb on top of stoves, pull down oven doors, and pull at clothing irons. Only have an oven, stove top, clothing iron, or any other heat related appliance turned on while it is in use, keep your child away as it cools down, and put it away as soon as you are finished with it if necessary.
3. Electrical Hazards With technology so integrated in our lives, many parents may underestimate just how many electrical appliances are in the home. Take a moment to do a walk-through of your home to make note of every electrical socket and buy safety plugs for all of them. You never know when your baby may get the idea to stick something in one of them and harm themselves. Its also a great idea to make sure all electrical chords are out of your childs reach or taped to the floor so that they cannot be used as toys. Keep any electrical appliances such as a vacuum put away when not in use and keep items such as televisions nailed down so your baby wont be able to pull it down and harm themselves.
4. Try Seeing the World from a Babys Perspective Besides hazards in the nursery, around heat, or around electricity; there still may be some dangers that are overlooked. One of the most useful ways of detecting any other dangers is crawling around the same way your little one will be. Crawling through the house may seem silly, but its the best way to see the world the through the curious eyes of your baby. You may be surprised by what would otherwise go unnoticed. In addition to this step, heres an excellent checklist to make you feel even more comfortable as your baby begins to explore their home.
