Baby Proofing
I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions for a baby proofing “consultant” or whatever they call themselves. I realize that much of this stuff I can do myself, but I do have some pieces of furniture like an entertainment center and bookcases that I think may need to be bolted down. Thanks in advance…
I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions for a baby proofing “consultant” or whatever they call themselves. I realize that much of this stuff I can do myself, but I do have some pieces of furniture like an entertainment center and bookcases that I think may need to be bolted down.
Thanks in advance for any suggestions
Cmu- that was my point, though you made it more clearly – bumpers and loose soft stuff are the dangers in a crib.
Reading up on the recommendations will explain this, and why, with a few death stories to make the point sink in.
>And since you don’t watch them while they sleep, the crib stuff recommendations re: rail spacing, bumpers, mattress fitting and bedding
You might want to read up on how soft items in the crib may be MORE dangerous than not having them (NY Times last week). There’s no danger in a wooden crib.
I’m just going to say those cabinet locks suck. Completely annoying more so than a childproof cap.
If you can afford it, skip the little plastic plug ins for outlets and get the faceplates that slide over the outlet.
The tricky stuff you are talking about probably involves getting some small L brackets to affix the fruniture to the wall so the toddler doesn’t pull the bookshelf down on themselves. The other thing that is somewhat difficult is screwing in the locks inside kitchen cabinets.
Agree you probably don’t need a consultant, just a handy person. You can read online what you need to do – and probably learn more about what is applicable in your place than any consultant knows. And you can learn stuff from asking other parents about what they’ve done.
The main thing to remember, whatever you do or don’t do, is that kids until a certain age can’t be left unattended. There’s no “baby-proofing” substitute for this – you gotta watch them. They don’t drink the poisonous stuff while you are looking at them, but when left alone. And that’s true even if you’ve put on child-proof locks on the cupboard – as sometimes, adults forget to lock them, and the locks aren’t impossible for them to open – like with most locks and thieves, locks just slow them down a bit. Little kids are quite smart and have amazing focus abilities.
Dangerous stuff is safer up high where they can’t reach it, and needs to be even higher once they can climb on the counters and sinks. (I don’t get why parents encourage their kids climb counters and up book and toy shelves – I’ve seen it more than once – the shelves don’t topple on their own, unless there’s an earthquake. And even if secured to the wall, the screws may come loose and not hold when constantly stressed with the climbing.)
Not saying one shouldn’t baby-proof all you can, but I’ve seen friends get really lax with training kids to be safe (not climb on furniture and fixtures) and with leaving them unattended (with totally predictable multiple ER visits as a result) once they’d done what they felt they needed to do to “baby-proof.” The whole idea can be a dangerous panacea – like it is something they do once, and then stop nocticing new dangers that arise when the kids get more mobile and curious. Actually watching kids is the only real baby-proofing there is. Yep, you can tell I was raised in the decades when people didn’t baby-proof much, but watched kids instead.
And since you don’t watch them while they sleep, the crib stuff recommendations re: rail spacing, bumpers, mattress fitting and bedding, and the recommendations on not having cords on bedroom window treatments, or electrical cords they can reach, are key.
Thanks so much to those who provided some good advice. I definitely have a sense of what needs to be done, but just wanted to hear what others have done as well. Its just always good to hear the perspective of others who might have had to do similiar work.
there is a company called babybodyguards, i think in park slope. we didn’t use them, but i think they get good reviews. but it sounds like you might already have an idea of what needs to be secured to your walls so perhaps a handyman would be a cheaper alternative.
Seriously- most of this is just common sense. Don’t waste your money on a ‘consultant’.
Slopegirl’s advice is all sound, although we got ‘Korner Kushions’ for some of the sharp-cornered furniture. They’re just foam corners that stick on furniture using double-sided tape.
Window guards and gates are easy to install. Don’t panic- babies are tougher than we think.
I recommend the plugs that fill empty outlets which are about $4 for a dozen. Also you do need to go through the house and move tiny/poisonous things and breakables up above three feet. You can do this gradually, it’s not hard.
If you need to leave baby alone while you take a shit/shower or whatever, get a play pen or an exersaucer, these are usually good for up to 20 mins of relatively unsupervised play time. These are on craigslist all the time because they’re only good for a crucial but short window of baby’s life (say 6 months to 12).
If you own a sharp cornered coffee table, or other truly dangerous furniture, replace it. You live with a small unstable human and that doesn’t change very quickly. If the shelves slide out of your bookshelf like they are greased, you should probably change that too.
Unless you have no possessions you will be cleaning up after this person for years to come. And they will always prefer your stuff (books, tupperware drawer, desk contents) to their “toys.”