Best Tricks for Baby Proofing Your Home
Often many of life's significant events coincide: such as having a baby and buying a home. If you are a new parent in this situation, you are probably wondering how best to prepare your new home to keep your baby safe as he or she grows. There are several things you can do to baby-proof your new home.
Eliminate Poisonous Hazards
As a first time home buyer and a new parent, you will have your hands full. One of the first things you must prioritize as your baby becomes mobile is the eliminate the dangers at ground level. There will be many. For instance, any chemicals that you normally store on the floor will need to be moved to high cabinets or shelves, so your cleaning supplies, laundry detergent, bleach and similar products all need to be moved out of reach. These items need to be moved even if they have purportedly child-proof packing because it is not worth the risk. This inspection and relocation also must include any poisonous plants that your baby may curiously taste. Once your baby is crawling, be sure to also secure your cabinets that contain dangerous items, such as those in your kitchen, laundry room and bathrooms. Consider leaving a cabinet or two with plastics open for your adventurous, exploring baby.
Remove Higher Risks
Once you have eliminated the dangers on the floor level, move to the dangers that will eventually meet your baby as the baby begins to stand, cruise and, eventually, walk. Include in these preparations methods to secure doors and drawers. You will want to make sure that your baby cannot access a room that you are unable to make completely safe for your baby. Say, for instance, you have a door that leads to your garage. Baby-proofing the garage is impossible, so it is necessary to make sure the baby cannot find a way to open the door. This is especially important if you have a toddler who may be tempted to go exploring and bring little brother or sister along. Secure basement doors and doors to the outside as well.
Avoid Water Dangers
Protecting your baby from drowning inside the home may seem like it is just a matter of the bathtub, but this is not the case. Your toilet is a huge danger to your baby in this regard. Keeping your bathroom door closed will help protect your baby from the many dangers in the bathroom, but investing in a lock for the toilet seat is also an option. These locking devices add another level of protection for your baby. Also, be sure to invest in some sort of security device if you have a pool.
Secure Furniture
As you move into your home and begin to place your furniture in its permanent home, you must make securing furniture a priority. Many pieces of large furniture, such as dressers, chests of drawers and bookcases, can easily be tilted over when weight is unevenly distributed or the furniture is pulled on as newly mobile babies liked to do. Most hardware or large retail stores sell mechanisms that enable you to secure your furniture to the wall and make it unable to be pulled or pushed over.
Protect Against Miscellaneous Hazards
There are a lot of little odds and ends things you will need to do to baby-proof your home. If your new home has stairs, baby gates are the best way for you to secure them. Also, be sure to invest in a number of electrical outlet covers to protect your baby from possible electrocution. You may also need to invest in locks for your refrigerator to keep your baby from exploring its contents. Whatever dangers you foresee, you should endeavor to eliminate the hazard to protect your baby.
This is not an exhaustive list of what you will need to do to baby-proof your home, but it is a good place to start. As a new homeowner and a new parent, it will be an overwhelming time of change. But do not let the novelty of the moment make you forget the importance of securing your home. Taking the necessary precautions will help make your home a happy one.