Back in the day, I worked for a company that did baby proofing home safety and we sold and installed things like baby gates, cabinet locks, safety latches, window locks, toilet locks... even swimming pool gates and fences. You name it!
Often times people will spend a good amount of money just to make their home safe for their babies. Which I highly recommend. I mean... hey... our babies are the most important thing to us! We can't put a dollar amount on the lives of our children!
However not everyone can afford to have a custom installation done in their home. Luckily you can just as easily go on amazon or to your local Walmart and for Target to find a few of these safety locks, gates and other items.
I might suggest that you start first of all initially with just plugging all of your plug outlets. These are quick, easy inexpensive little plastic plug hole covers that plug into all of your outlets anywhere in the house that are within your baby's reach. Get down on your hands and knees and crawl around scanning the walls to look around as if you were the baby... this way you can see everything in your babies perspective You might be surprised to see how many plugs an outlet there are throughout every room that your baby will have access to when the begin to crawl around freely. Even if you cannot afford to have your entire house safety baby proofed from top to bottom. The very least you should do is these pluf outlet covers.
I personally feel that these simple little outlet covers are the most important baby safety precautions.
Here's my "most important" list:
•outlet covers
•cabinet locks especially for your bathroom and kitchen under the sinks where you most likely store chemicals and sprays and cleaning products. Anything glass should be stored higher out of there each if possible.
Here is my list to start with for starters.
Plug outlet covers, magnet cabinet locks for lower cabinets.
•baby gate at the top of the stairs as well as the bottom of the stairs.
•Door locks for your front door home entrance. I can't tell you how many times I've heard about babies walking right out the front door because it wasn't locked or because they were able to figure out how to unlock the door! Especially with the lever door knobs rather than the round turning door knobs. Either way - once a toddler start walking and is tall enough to stand or pull himself up to reach the door knob he or she will soon be able to figure it out and get out the front door or other doors that you don't want them to go into like a bathroom door where there is a toilet.
Also speaking of toilets. There are various child safety toilet locks on the market. They can be quite a hassle to install as well as trying to lift and/or unlock when you the adult needs to go to the bathroom and you're standing there doing your pee pee dance trying to figure out how this thing works to get it unlocked. I'm not a huge fan of the toilet safety latch locks - sorry I'm being honest. They can be quiet a headache. I actually tend to err on the side of caution and just prevent the baby from going into bathrooms all together. Wherever there might be toilet or even a bathtub. Both of which can potentially pose a threat of danger to your baby. Side note when a baby is strong enough to start pulling themselves up to stand up they should be not allowed to go near a bathtub unattended because they once they are tall enough they can bend over at the waste obmver the side of the tub to try to reach their toys or maybe they want to get in for a little swim. The baby can fall over at the waist and land head first in that bathtub! Whether it has water in it or not it is a risk of injury and a risk risk they can bump their head or if there's water in it God forbid a drowning accident could happened. Babies can fall into toilets too which is why they invented toilet locks for baby safety.
Electricity is scary. Try to hide your plug cords for lamps, computers, cell phone chargers, night lights.... babies things like these for some reason so they are drawn to cords and plugs. theyre long and skinny which poses a risk for getting the cord wrapped around thier little necks. They are also easy to put the ends in their mouth potentially causing electrocution! Scary stuff!
Windows are another risk factor. I have been known to walk into a baby's nursery on my first day on the job as a Nanny for a new family - and I just started moving furniture around. Sorry. Can't help it. It's ingrained in me now. I've been trained well. Every room I walk into - my eyes automatically start to scan the entire room, the walls, the floors, the windows, the plugs. A toy box under a window is a climbing hazard and a baby or toddler can step up high enough to unlock/open the window and fall out. Ever hear that Eric Clapton song "Tears in Heaven'? Ummmm,,, yah.
I've been known to move a baby crib if it's too close to an electrical outlet. Toddlers get bored during nap time and will start to reach for the outlet and stick their tiny little fingers in the plug holes! Same goes for dressers and changing tables. If they are positioned under a big heavy glass picture frame or a mirror, or maybe a little too close to a window pull string... I slide the furniture over a few feet. Simple rule of thumb. Furniture and windows do not go together!
Your baby is your most precious thing in your life. Wouldn't you do anything and EVERYTHING in your power to protect your sweet heart and keep them safe? I know I sure would!!
Good luck mommies! Be safe!
For more information about newborns, babies, infant, toddlers: you might find my FUN educational youtube videos helpful: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyUZ0DQiBXWUvkOaKRtHFVA
