Bringing a new baby home is a fun and exciting time. Even if this isn’t your first child, you still need to make sure your home is baby proofed so they don’t run into potential hazards in your home. Here are five simple tips to help you baby proof your home:
Tip # 1 – Check the toys
If you already have kids, you need to make sure all of their toys are kept in different area from your infant toys. You definitely don’t want your toddler finding small legos and putting them in their mouths. Get a toy box and have each child put their toys into the box and then set up some rules about cleaning the toys so the older kids don’t leave hazardous toys out for the younger kids. Make sure the toys are all age appropriate to prevent harmful accidents.
Tip # 2 – Plan ahead
You never know what type of hazards your kids are going to be exposed to. One thing you can do is to program your doctors number into your phone and to program some other important numbers in there too like the fire department and poison control. It’s better to be safe than sorry. Make a small list of numbers and leave it on the fridge for a babysitter or when you are in a state of panic. Keep some ipecac syrup in the home in case there is a poisoning emergency. You should also have a first aid kit that comes with different types of emergency precautions from Bain-aids to splints.
Get a fire extinguisher in the home. It should definitely be in the kitchen but you might want to consider leaving one on every level of the home just in case. Test your smoke detectors to make sure they are working properly.
Test the baby monitor to make sure it works correctly. A simple way to make sure it’s loud enough is to place a ticking clock next to the sound end and then listen to see if you hear it in other rooms. If you can, you won’t have any trouble hearing the baby.
Tip # 3 – Accidents waiting to happen
Take a look around your home at some of the accidents that are waiting to happen. Make sure you have baby gates on the stairs. Use a hook-and-eye latch on the doors so the kids can get into dangerous rooms like the laundry room or the hunting room. It’s a wise idea to have this type of lock on the basement door and on all the doors that lead outside. You definitely don’t want your toddler opening up the door to your home and running outside alone.
Tip # 4 – Goodbye magnets
Magnets are dangerous to children. Sure they can help keep pictures on the fridge but kids will put them in their mouths and swallow them. When this happens, many of them need to go to the emergency room because the magnet will constrict their intestines as the magnetic energy will cling to itself. Be safe and get rid of the magnets or wait till the kids are older to bring them out. The other dangerous thing about magnets is that most kids will actually choke on them.
Tip # 5 – Proper supervision
Never leave your child with anyone you do not trust. You need to be confident that the person that is watching your children is competent and loving to them. Put people through a good screening process before you head out the door so you know they are in good hands. Children need to be watched all the time. Accidents often happen because parents or other caregivers are neglecting to properly watch them. Don’t let a simple mistake happen to you or your children. Be smart and keep an eye on your kids all the time.
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