BABY PROOFING / BABY SAFETY
 

Basic Checklist for Baby Proofing Your Home
So, a little one is on the way or in you or your loved one's midst and you are probably concerned about all this baby proofing stuff you are supposed to figure out. The first thing to do is realize that Rome wasn't built in a day! You will get the hang of it. To get your started the following list is just what the doctor ordered! As your baby grows from one stage to the other you will be equipped to implement the necessary baby proofing changes and your home will be a safe haven! Baby Proofing is also an excellent baby shower gift to give and you can find someone near you by looking your city up and typing baby proofing.

Basic Baby Proofing Checklist

• Try not to use hand me downs especially with the crib and car seat. Newer cribs have much higher levels of safety standards. Ensure the slats are vertical and not too far apart (no more than 2 3/8th inch) so that your baby could get their head through the opening.
   
• Never put soft pillows, stuffed animals, bumper pads etc in the crib. Also make sure that the mattress fits very tightly between the frames of the crib.
   
• Never allow your baby to sleep in loose fitting clothes or in clothes that have drawstrings or ties. Always place your baby to sleep on their back.
   
• Never put the crib close to a window or near tie chords from draperies or blinds.
   
• Always use the harness system that comes with your child's high chair, seats etc. The straps are there for a reason and should never be ignored.
   
• Always place your child in a new, approved car seat according to the laws in your state.
   
• Cover all electrical outlets and remove hanging or dropped cords.
   
• Ensure that play pens or portable cribs and strollers are set up properly so they won't be at risk for collapsing.
   
• Set your water heater at 120 degrees to avoid hot water burns which can be serous to your child.
   
• Make sure to have the toilette seat down when a baby begins to realize they can pull themselves up. You can also get a latch system for the toilette seat cover.

Babyproofing Your Kitchen
While you wish to have your baby have normal development, you don't want to harm your child in the process. Toddlers are even more apt to explore their world around them, leading to greater chance of injury. This is why you have to put latches on cupboard doors and on kitchen drawers. This gives you a measure of safety and it helps if you leave the pots and pans or Tupperware drawers and cabinets open for some safe fun. Your kitchen needs to be adequately baby proofed (www.ChildProofingTips.com) so that you can cook safely in it, with all dangerous items up and out of the way of the reach of your baby. This includes having your pot handles turned to the inside when cooking.

Babyproofing around the Home
You shouldn't trust latches when it is a matter of chemicals and household cleaners. You need to keep these chemicals out of the kitchen out of the way and up out of their reach. The garage is a good place to put them as long as it does not get too hot with the more flammable substances. Some babies see latches as specific challenges to be overcome and can get around them fairly quickly so make sure to pay attention and see which ones need to be replaced with a more sophisticated latch or system.

Electrical Safety
Remember that kids see electrical outlets as places to put their fingers into. They also put metal objects into them, making an even greater risk. Cover all outlets to avoid this kind of danger or use outlets that have sliders that protect the holes. Know that some children can pull the plugs off so that the slider kind is preferable if you have the extra money for them. In any event, purchase covers that are hard to remove for the greatest safety for your child.

Know What Your Limitations Are
Baby Proofing is not perfect science so don't go crazy trying to get everything perfect. Get the obvious things taken care of and be observant as baby plays. Make certain that you are aware of what baby is doing around the home and know what your baby is getting into.

Again, most of these safety measures will not be crucial in the first few months but it is better to be safe and proactive than sorry later on. Getting a house baby proofed is also an excellent baby shower gift and can also work if you are in an earthquake state.

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