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If you are having a baby soon, or even if you plan on having a baby over to your house any time soon, you will need to do certain things to make sure your home is "baby proof," or safe for babies. If it's a quick visit, there are certain things you can do quickly to make your home safer, but if you're bringing a baby home to stay, you have to take certain other precautions.
If you're just having a baby over for the day, say to babysit, or your friend who is a new mother is bringing her baby over to visit, you'll want to do some childproofing things that make the baby safer in your house. Safety gates are essential- these keep babies in certain rooms and keep them from falling down stairs. You also want to make sure that your floors are clean and free of debris, dirt, and germs because the baby, if a certain age, will likely be crawling around and you don't want him or her to get picked up covered in dog hair and Cheetos.
Make sure all poisonous substances are locked in cabinet either out of reach of the child, or with a cabinet lock on it. Babies can get into all sorts of things, and you don't want that window cleaner to end up all over the floor, the baby, and in the baby's mouth. In the same vein, keep all animal toys out of the way. They are brightly colored to attract your pets, so you can bet they are going to attract a baby as well. Since the toys are covered with your pet's hair and dander, and have been on the floor all the time, you really don't want the baby to put that toy in his or her mouth. Also make sure any knick knack that you hold dear is out of your way - it is sure to get broken, or at least slobbered on.
Make sure you have plastic outlet guards covering your electrical outlets. This is a safety precaution that you don't want to skip - a child can become serious injured by putting fingers or other things into electrical sockets.
Pad any sharp corners like tables, cabinets, and counters with foam tape or corner protectors. Little babies and toddlers can strike their heads on these sharp corners and become injured. Also, keep pets away from babies and toddlers until you are in complete control of the situation. The 11-year-old cat might not want to become best friends with the 2-year-old baby, and the baby could be injured.
If you are bringing a baby home for good, you'll want to make sure your air and water quality are the best they can be - make sure you have carbon monoxide detectors and radon detectors along with your smoke detectors, and that you install a whole-house filter to make sure all your water is clean. It is also a good practice to turn your hot water heater down so that no water that comes out of a faucet in your house can scald the baby. Toddlers love to play with water faucets, and can be burned if the water gets too hot.
All in all, use common sense and your home should be baby-friendly.
If you're just having a baby over for the day, say to babysit, or your friend who is a new mother is bringing her baby over to visit, you'll want to do some childproofing things that make the baby safer in your house. Safety gates are essential- these keep babies in certain rooms and keep them from falling down stairs. You also want to make sure that your floors are clean and free of debris, dirt, and germs because the baby, if a certain age, will likely be crawling around and you don't want him or her to get picked up covered in dog hair and Cheetos.
Make sure all poisonous substances are locked in cabinet either out of reach of the child, or with a cabinet lock on it. Babies can get into all sorts of things, and you don't want that window cleaner to end up all over the floor, the baby, and in the baby's mouth. In the same vein, keep all animal toys out of the way. They are brightly colored to attract your pets, so you can bet they are going to attract a baby as well. Since the toys are covered with your pet's hair and dander, and have been on the floor all the time, you really don't want the baby to put that toy in his or her mouth. Also make sure any knick knack that you hold dear is out of your way - it is sure to get broken, or at least slobbered on.
Make sure you have plastic outlet guards covering your electrical outlets. This is a safety precaution that you don't want to skip - a child can become serious injured by putting fingers or other things into electrical sockets.
Pad any sharp corners like tables, cabinets, and counters with foam tape or corner protectors. Little babies and toddlers can strike their heads on these sharp corners and become injured. Also, keep pets away from babies and toddlers until you are in complete control of the situation. The 11-year-old cat might not want to become best friends with the 2-year-old baby, and the baby could be injured.
If you are bringing a baby home for good, you'll want to make sure your air and water quality are the best they can be - make sure you have carbon monoxide detectors and radon detectors along with your smoke detectors, and that you install a whole-house filter to make sure all your water is clean. It is also a good practice to turn your hot water heater down so that no water that comes out of a faucet in your house can scald the baby. Toddlers love to play with water faucets, and can be burned if the water gets too hot.
All in all, use common sense and your home should be baby-friendly.
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