Junior is moving and shaking all over the house now. I never noticed how dangerous my house was for babies until… well, I had a baby. (I also never knew how dirty my house was before babies but that’s another subject)
Aside from putting him in a giant bubble, I needed to baby proof the house in a way that’s still livable for the rest of the family.
From what I’ve learned so far, here are 20 must-dos when baby proofing your house.
- Put up baby gates to block off rooms or stairs. I like the ones you can walk through for convenience.
- Cover all exposed outlets
- Lock your cabinets (particularly those with sharp objects of hazardous cleaners and liquids)
- Pad sharp edges or remove sharp-edge furniture entirely for the time being. Cut up pool noodles work great!
- Cover exposed wires or cables
- Lock your oven. Also, remove the towel hanging off the handle. Baby can use that to pull down oven doors as well
- Buy covers for your stove knobs if they are in reach as well
- Store all remotes out of reach
- Tape the back of the battery cover for the remote so batteries don’t fall out. (Learned that one the hard way)
- Heavy furniture NEEDS to be fastened to the wall
- Install door knob cover or a high lock so baby/child doesn’t escape.
- Vacuum regularly under chairs and tables and also behind any furniture
- Purchase a toilet lock
- Abide by the “toilet paper roll” rule. If a something is small enough to fit in a toilet paper roll, it is too small for baby.
- Cover radiators or heating vents which can cause serious burns
- Purchase a spout cover for the tub faucet
- Purchase door pinch guards to prevent fingers getting slammed.
- Place purses, jackets and pocket books up high.
- Use cord shorteners for blinds or curtains
- Never leave baby alone with a family dog, even if you trust the dog. You just never know.