Your Baby Is Mobile!

New parents need to be ready for the time when baby starts rolling and scooting around the home. The best time to start childproofing your home is before baby comes home from the hospital. If your child is ready to crawl, it is time to start childproofing to help keep your child safe in your home.

The moment your baby starts rolling and scooting, you are going to realize how important childproofing your home is going to be. If you leave even the most microscopic piece of paper on the floor, your baby will find it. Now is the time to childproof if you haven't already done so, because that baby will be crawling and walking before you know it.

Get Down

Start by exploring your home on your baby's level. It is amazing to see all the hazards in your home just by changing your perspective. Little hands are always tempted by a chord or anything dangling from an end table. Be sure to look under things, like under the sofa, for temptations. Remember, tiny baby hands can reach where grown up ones can not. Remove anything from your baby's reach that is smaller than a golf ball, has small parts that could break off, is extremely heavy, or poses any other type of hazard.

Get Covered

Your electrical outlets are a huge temptation for your baby, and this becomes even more evident as he or she becomes a toddler. Purchase and install outlet covers now. They are a hassle, but one toy stuck in an outlet could cause serious injury for your baby.

You also need to cover any sharp, hard edges. Do you have pointy corners on your end table? You can buy covers for this purpose. Babies who are just learning to walk can be injured by furniture with pointed corners. If you have a fireplace, purchase a cover for the hearth, as those bricks are very dangerous for little heads.

If you think the stove knobs are going to be a temptation for your little one, you can purchase covers for them. If there are doors you do not want your toddler to open, you can cover the handles with baby-proofing covers.

Lock Up

Keep all hazardous chemicals and cleaners in one place, and lock that closet or cupboard with a baby lock. Keep your knives out of reach and out of sight as well. Lock up any cupboards or drawers you want your baby to stay out of since he will enjoy opening and closing them.

Wrap Up

Believe it or not, drapes and mini blinds are also dangers in your home. The long chords from them are very intriguing to a baby, yet very hazardous. It is not difficult for a baby to get entangled in these, and she could suffocate before you could get them off. Wrap all of these up so that they are out of reach. If you cannot do this, have them trimmed. The same thing goes for chords and cables, which also pose an electrocution risk. You do not want anything dangling down for your baby to try to grab.

Accomplish these simple steps while your baby is still an infant so you can enjoy the scooting, rolling, and crawling phase with the peace of mind that your home is already child proofed!


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David Cummings is a devoted parent and author on family topics. He is dedicated to helping parents improve family time together and to ensuring a brighter future for all children via contributions to children organizations. David is the General Manager for Bustling Baby, LLC - a company that knows the hectic parenting lifestyle and offers products to make life with baby easier, such as the quality Eddie Bauer High Chair