As a new parent, your most important task is taking care of your baby. Babies require attention while being nursed, to protect them from harm like falling into harmful objects. Although your baby might not be crawling or walking yet, there are certain ways harm could come to him or her if not properly taken care of. Therefore, to avoid sad stories, you must look out for potentially harmful or dangerous objects within your home.
One of the best ways to protect your child is to baby-proof the house. Baby-proofing a house simply means taking strict measures and precautions in safeguarding your home and environment against hazards, objects, or substances that could hurt or kill a baby.
Baby-proofing can be overwhelming, especially for first-time parents. However, with good guidelines, you can easily adapt to it. That is why we are here to guide you. The first thing to ask yourself when you want to baby-proof your home is,
Which baby-proof products can I get for my home?
Here are some essential baby-proof products to get you started:
Smoke Detector
Smoke is a very small carbon particle and tiny droplets of tar. It is a very harmful substance. Inhaling smoke could cause itch or damage to your throat, larynx, or even esophagus. Now, if this could hurt an adult, how much more of a baby? Because babies are so tender, inhaling smoke could lead to choking or even death. Smoke detectors are devices that sense smoke, extreme heat, or even fire; and alert you. Installing this device in your home will protect your baby and even you from harm.
Temperature Guard
Parents need a simple way to ensure the bath temperature of their baby is accurate. You wouldn’t want to risk bathing your child in high-temperature water. A temperature guard protects your baby from heat, cold, and water damage. Install one on your water heater at a maximum of 120 degrees Fahrenheit (48 degrees Celsius) or simply use one when bathing your baby.
Non-slip Rug Pads
Non-slip rug pads can be used over hard-surface floors to prevent your child from slipping and falling. With its open weave construction, it helps allow the rug to breathe, therefore preventing bunching and shifting. It softens your rug, making it more comfortable to walk on.
Safety Tassels and Cord Stops
Corded window coverings or curtains pose a major danger to babies and children. Curtain cords are infamous for the choking risk they pose to small children. It has been identified as one of the most hazardous objects in the home. A safety tassel or cord stop helps prevent strangulation from curtain cords by keeping them out of your baby’s way. You can get one with a transparent design that is unnoticeable.
Invisible Magnetic Safety Locks
This keeps your baby out of trouble. Children are very adventurous and may go around opening all the shelves and cabinets in the house. Even if the cabinets or wardrobe holds nothing dangerous, using this product will reduce your stress level as a parent. You won’t have to run around to restrain your child. All you have to do is stick the safety lock to the inside of your cupboard with tape. Close the door and the magnet will keep it locked, out of your baby’s reach. You can always open the cabinet with a key whenever you want to use it.
Doorknob Products
Ever had worries about being locked out by your child, or have you experienced this? Well, worry no more, with this product you don’t have to be paranoid about losing entry into your own house. It ensures that the doorway leading to other places in the house like bathrooms, store, kitchen, and balcony, are inaccessible to your baby. It also prevents curious kids from going outside.
Baby-Proofing Electrical Outlet Covers
Electric shock is reportedly one of the highest causes of most home accidents and deaths. You wouldn’t want this sort of tragedy for your baby, would you? Electrical outlets and cords are some of the most dangerous parts of a home that you must keep out of your children’s reach. To avoid your baby being exposed to electric gadgets, simply install this device in your electrical outlets. Once the electric outlets are sealed, your kids won’t go poking their hands in there. Do this for cords too, as babies would chase around everything new to their eyes.
Baby Gate for Stairs
If your house has stairs, you may have calculated the risk factors of having your baby around those stairs. You can’t always limit your child’s movements. He could get adventurous someday and try climbing down those stairs. Or he could be trying to follow you around the house. Now, with this product, you don’t need to worry so much about your baby tripping or falling when near a stair. This product will stop babies in their tracks or at least slow them down enough until you arrive.
TV and Furniture Anchors
A small toddler out of curiosity would want to climb over furniture or push things over. This item could move while the toddler struggles with it. This can harm the child if it moves or falls. Even without your toddler touching it, there is every possibility that these things can tip over without caution. To prevent such occurrences, use this product to properly anchor your furniture into place.
Window Bars
Windows above ground level should be properly secured. Make sure to remove any furniture or objects that allow easy access to the window. It’s best to keep your windows shut when not in use, or when you are not close by to monitor your child. However, if you must keep your windows open while a baby is present, then make no haste in purchasing this product. They are a must-have to prevent falls. Your baby or toddler’s safety is assured even when they try pushing the window open themselves.Â
Baby Monitor
It’s important to be able to monitor your baby while you’re in the other room, without having to go back and forth to check on him or her. With a baby monitor, you can easily keep tabs on your child when you are not close by. It makes it easier for you to do your chores while also keeping a constant check on your baby. Make sure you place it in a lighted area, and scout for obstacles that might prevent a decent recording. It’s best to buy a monitor that comes with an audio recorder for easy surveillance. Nanny cams could also come in handy.Â
Baby-Proofing Corner Guards
A baby can easily tip over and fall. They can also get hurt by the sharp edges of your wall or furniture. You can use padding or soft patches to cover all edges that might be of concern. Using corner guards will prevent your toddler from accidentally slamming into sharp corners and edges while walking or crawling.
Baby-Proofing Toilet Lid Cover
Prevent your toddler or children from making use of toilet water by securing the lid from their reach. Always keep the lid shut, and ensure your child doesn’t learn how it is opened.
Keeping a close eye on your baby is essential for the child’s safety. Finding proper products could sometimes be conflicting, especially when you intend to make them adult-friendly. Make sure to thoroughly consider the pros and cons of each product you intend to buy. Sensitizing the adults in your home about these safety measures would help to ensure the proper use of these baby-proof gadgets.