Having a baby is a wonderful and rewarding experience. However, one of the most daunting prospects of being a parent is preventing accidents in the home when you bring your new baby home from the hospital. Thankfully, baby proofing your home has never been easier. There are countless products out there designed specifically to help you keep your baby from getting into a preventable accident around the house. Let’s take a closer look at the most significant baby-proofing steps you’ll need to take.
Pay special attention to outdoor balcony or deck spaces.
A balcony is a great outdoor space for an apartment, but it can be very dangerous if you have small children around. Luckily, there are a ton of different solutions for child-proofing your balcony.
Get locks for all cabinets.
You need to get baby-proof locks for all of your cabinets. Cabinets often contain glassware, cleaning products, and other products that could be harmful or even fatal to your baby. These cabinet locks come in many different styles. The key is that they need to be designed that a baby cannot get them off, even if they watch mom and dad remove the locks. Locks which require adult-level strength are ideal for this purpose.
Put covers on electrical sockets.
Electric sockets can be extremely hazardous to babies. Your electrical sockets should all have covers that babies cannot remove. Thick plastic covers that go inside the socket are the best choice, because they require patience and strength to pull out.
Get chain locks for the doors and an alarm for any outside doors.
Although you may not need to worry about this until your baby is about 1 and 1/2 to 2 years old, eventually they will be tall enough to unlock doors. This can lead to your baby accessing areas that are off limits or even getting outside. All of your doors should have chain locks that are adult height, and any doors that lead to the outside should have an additional lock at an adult height and/or an alarm that lets you know if the door has been opened.
Put all chemical products in top cabinets.
Although it can be inconvenient, you should put any products that could seriously injure or kill your baby if ingested or exposed to in secured top cabinets where they cannot reach. It is better to be annoyed at having to unlock a high cabinet for drain cleaner than to risk your baby accessing it.
Attach firm baby gates in front of staircases.
Staircases can be deadly for babies. You should have firm baby gates installed in front of every staircase entryway, which includes the top and bottom of the stairs. Ideally you should have baby gates that install into the wall rather than using gates which use pressure to remain in place, as these can be flimsy, especially when your baby is old enough to walk and put pressure on the gate.
Get pads for table, cabinet, and other furniture corners.
Sharp furniture corners, like table corners and cabinet corners, can cause serious injuries in babies, ranging from deep cuts to concussions. Baby-proof furniture corner pads can reduce the seriousness of any injuries your baby receives when bumping or falling against these corners. They are easy to install, just make sure they are securely in place after installation.
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