Rest assured, you don’t have to have the whole house babyproofed to the max before the arrival of your tiny human. But you might want to get the big things ready before bringing baby home, so you have one less thing to worry about once you’re in charge of a living, breathing, pooping (sorry) baby. You’ll have a few months of wiggle room before your infant will start going mobile. Use the time they’re learning to roll over and sit up on their own to babyproof every square inch of your house. But before your house is filled with locks, latches, and gates, do these things first.
Buy Smoke Alarms and Carbon Monoxide Detectors
Make sure your smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors are up to date, working properly and have new batteries before baby comes. Pre-baby, some of that household maintenance can fall to the wayside. Once you’ve got a little one in your care, it’s important to check and double-check all those safety guardrails you might have forgotten about.
Pick Out the Right Bassinet or Crib
For their first few months, baby does a lot of sleeping. More sleeping than you thought possible. Ironically, though, they never sleep when you want them to – it’s one of the many mysteries of parenting. In any case, make sure the crib or bassinet is safe for rest time. Keep their sleeping area free of potential hazards. Infants should sleep on their back in a bare crib (yes, that means no toys or blankets) until they can safely sit up and roll over on their own. Keep all cords and strings at a safe distance from the crib to avoid a choking hazard.
Get on Their Level
When babyproofing your home, get down on your hands and knees (or stomach) to see things from your little one’s point of view. What’s within in arm’s reach that should be moved away? What sharp edges might be a threat to your baby’s noggin? What doors and drawers will be the most appealing to baby for opening and rummaging through? Getting down on their level (literally) can help you find things to babyproof that you might not have seen from your adult-size point-of-view.
Highest Standard in Safety
When you’re looking for all your babyproofing needs, make sure the safety gear you’re buying is up to snuff. Not all safety products are made equal, so research is definitely required. At Safety 1st, we hold our products to the highest standard in safety. Our locks and latches are tested in the lab and in the real world, so you can relax knowing your kids are safe.
Ready to get into the nitty-gritty of babyproofing your whole house? Read our Top 5 Places to Childproof for a place to start.