More ways to keep your babies safe at home
Be aware of low window edges – When we moved into our new Boston home, many of the windows were so low our 15-month-old can even see out of them. And some windows didn’t have screens. So make sure you’re securing windows, adding screens, and taking necessary precautions because you would never want to mindlessly open a window and forget about it being a danger to your child
Under-sink locks where chemicals are stored – Since many chemicals now come in the form of pods, this can make chemicals even more dangerous because they look like candy.
Office shredder – Shredders are really fascinating to young eyes and could be extremely dangerous for little fingers. Unplugging it is probably not enough as it would be plugged in. Find a high place to store it when not in use.
Pocket knives, leathermans, etc. – Keeping these both safe and out of sight is important. Even on top of tall dressers is probably a bad idea as a child might try to climb the dresser for it if they see it or know it’s there.
Have a home for purses, wallets, and keys – Hanging purses can become a choking hazard and wallets not only contain things like coins that can be harmful, but too many times we’ve been on the household hunt for a debit card that’s been stolen from tiny hands.
Turn bookshelves on their sides – If you don’t want to anchor shelves as mentioned above, a nice alternative solution is turning them on their sides. We have done this not only to keep them from being a tipping hazard but also to cover electrical outlets.
Installing Bed guards and Secure Changing station – Make sure the changing station does have a pad that could easily slide, making it dangerous. and of course, never leave a baby of any age unattended on a changing table. On the same note, as kids get older, you might consider installing something to keep them from rolling off the bed.
Carpet cleaning – There are many elements to this. Kick your shoes off at the door to chemicals like pesticides from walking on the grass out of your carpet. Also, consider letting your carpet off-gas if you get it professionally cleaned before the baby starts crawling.
Introduce pets as part of your baby-prep – Pets can be dangerous to new babies if they do not understand their place in the family. Consider introducing pets to the smells of the baby (like clothes and dirty diapers) before bringing the baby around.
Creating backyard Safe area – Fill in holes, consider getting a fence/checking an existing fence’s structural integrity, or make a kid-only zone.
Floor lamps, alarm clocks, and objects that can be pulled down – You can find unique ways to protect floor lamps like putting them behind furniture and make sure other easily pulled down objects, like table lamps with pull chains are protected or out of reach.
Gorilla hooks, properly hanging things on the wall – ditch tacks and other flimsy ways to hang even light-weight objects, and use gorilla hooks as an extremely durable way to hang things on the wall. You’d be surprised how many times a toddler can run into a wall in a day.
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