It’s so funny because as new parents, we tend to be very excited about having a small baby in the home, one that can be cradled and loved. However, as the baby reaches age one to two months, we start becoming excited about the time when he/she will crawl and eventually walk. This is something that most parents deal with, as watching a developing child is exciting and fulfilling. The thing to remember though is that once your baby starts the crawling and walking phases of life – everything changes! It’s not that this is bad, but definitely a time that requires more of your attention.
Babies that reach he crawling stage quickly figure out how to get where they want to go. You can actually watch your baby spot something and with sheer determination, learn how to roll or crawl to get it. Yes, this is exciting and fun but now is the time to baby proof your home so your child does not become injured. Statistics show that every year, thousands of babies are injured or even die from accidents occurring within the home. These numbers can be dramatically reduced with some minor changes.
For instance, look around your kitchen to make sure all the pot handles are turned inward. When cooking, avoid using the front burners unless you know where your baby is at all times. Avoid carrying anything hot such as coffee around your child and make sure anything sharp it out of reach. In fact, keep the dishwasher locked so the child cannot open the door and get to dirty forks or knives. Use childproof latches on all the cabinet doors, even the tops ones. As your baby begins to walk and grow, don’t be surprised if he or she figures out how to use a chair to get on the cabinets. Finally, make sure you have any type of dangerous chemicals such as cleaning supplies up instead of stored below the kitchen sink.
For your bathroom, even though you would be with your baby while bathing, use a bath seat or a non-slip mat on the bottom of the tub. Once your baby learns how to pull up or walk, he or she will walk to stand in the bathtub, which presents an opportunity for injury. In addition, purchase hot tap covers for the bath and sink faucets, lower the thermostat of your hot water heater so it is no more than 120 degrees, always triple check the bath water temperature, lock medication or cleaning supplies up, and make sure razors and other sharp objects are out of reach. Another very important tip for the bathroom is to use toilet locks. Unfortunately, babies can fall into the toilet and actually drown. These small mechanisms are inexpensive and well worth using.
For all rooms of the house, make sure drapes and blinds have the cords tied up on the rod or cut off, as these have caused strangulation. Then, to avoid bumps and bruises, put appliqués on any glass doors. You should also put throw rugs down on hard floor surfaces, as your baby will take spills, always make sure stairways are blocked off with a baby gate or locking door, use guards around fireplaces, space heaters, and wood-burning stoves, and keep furniture away from windows, secured, and void of items that could be pulled off.