Tag Archives: baby proofing

I Only Want It If It’s Not For Babies

My daughter has more toys than she knows what to do with. Between my family, my husband’s family, friends, and church members, she’s set for quite a while (and by a while, I mean until her first birthday). Most of the time, she is completely content to sit on the floor and pull toys out one-by-one from her toy basket. She turns them over in her hands, bangs them against each other, and, of course, chews on them. She’s content, that is, unless there is something else within her reach that is not a toy. It doesn’t really matter what … Continue reading →

Bassinet Safety

Bassinets, co-sleepers, portable play yards and cradles are all great products to use for an infant when you want the baby to be close and hand. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that parents share a room with their baby but not a bed, and a bassinet can do the trick. One thing that many parents don’t realize (I know I didn’t, and we used a bassinet with all three of our children) is that there are no federal regulations regarding bassinets as there are with cribs. In other words, cribs must follow safety standards set by the Consumer Product … Continue reading →

Kitchen Safety

The kitchen is a room that most families spend a lot of time in, cooking and cleaning up. In some homes it is actually the heart of family living. Because so much time is spent in the kitchen, it is where many accidents occur. When babies and small children are involved, kitchen hazards can be devastating. While most people put chemicals out of reach and install a stove guard, there are other hazards lurking in the kitchen. Here are some tips on how to keep your kitchen safe, including some areas that are usually overlooked. Trash With small children, trash … Continue reading →

Reducing Your Child’s Blood Lead Risk

The studies on the damage that too much lead can cause in children is overwhelming. Lead exposure in young children can lead to irreversible brain damage and loss of IQ. Very young children are extremely susceptible to levels of lead in the blood. Their smaller bodies and developing brains put them at risk. So how can you reduce your child’s risk of having high levels of lead exposure? Here are some answers. The number one risk for lead exposure comes from lead paint used in houses before the 1950s. Homes built before 1970 may also contain lead paint. Lead can … Continue reading →

Baby Goes Missing Under the Floorboards

Here is a news story from Oregon that is a definite lesson in providing a safe environment for your baby! In Portland, a little girl, aged 1 went missing in her grandparents home. The child’s father had fallen asleep in a room along with his three children, a five-year-old, a three-year-old and a one-year-old. Around 5 a.m. the next morning, the father woke up to find that the baby was missing. After a quick search of the house, the police were called and the family feared the worse. Officers searched the house and grounds for the baby but couldn’t find … Continue reading →

Household Swallowing Hazards

Babies have a tendency to put everything in their mouths. And while we, as parents, are diligent about baby proofing our homes, sometimes things get missed, such as a small toy from an older child, loose change that has fallen out of someone’s pocket, a stray piece of lint that looks particularly interesting, etc. While many of these objects may not be choking hazards, they still aren’t things you want you baby to ingest. Here are the most common household hazards that a baby might swallow and some information on whether or not you should start to panic. Coins There … Continue reading →

3 Safety Devices You Must Have. . .

. . .that you might’ve overlooked. Yesterday I talked about safety devices for the baby that you probably don’t need. For some reason in our culture, we tend to feel like we need to get all sorts of gadgets to keep bubs safe, and consequently, parents sometimes feel over confident. You can replace most of your safety gadgets with good parenting and watching your child. After all, a watchful eye is the best way to prevent accidents. With that said, here are 3 safety gadgets you simply cannot live without and must check before the baby gets home. A Smoke … Continue reading →

Safety Products You Can Live Without

I’m definitely not saying that you shouldn’t baby proof your house. Let’s be clear about this right from the start. But I am saying that the folks who make all these lovely little safety devices would have you believing that danger lurks in every room, around every corner. Dare I say that the best kind of safety is the old fashioned kind? (That’s right–plain old fashioned keeping an eye on your kids is the best kind of accident prevention.) Refrigerator Latches Granted each of my children has done their own version of a science experiment answering the question: What happens … Continue reading →

Your Baby & Holiday Hazards

Sorry about the break I took from baby there, I didn’t mean to be gone for several days in a row, but if you check out my Fitness blog, I explain what’s going on with me over there. In the meanwhile, let’s talk about the rapid arrival of the holiday season and what we all have going on. From the cooking to the decorating to the shopping and the wrapping and the holiday gatherings, there’s a lot to do for moms and dads and even more to keep track of. It’s important to remember that whether this is your baby’s … Continue reading →

Top 10 Ways To Child-Proof Your Home

If you are a parent you know that all it takes is one incident (be it a fall, scratch, bump or bruise) involving your child before you go into overdrive trying to childproof your home. Recently, my 2-year-old discovered how “cool” it was to collect the various battery powered travel clocks we have around our home and hurl them at the picture window. Lovely. The glass breaking wasn’t my main concern (luckily nothing shattered); rather it was the means by which she devised to reach the clocks that had me frantically rearranging furniture following the incident. It’s a fact–potential dangers … Continue reading →