Do you have a baby on the way, or know someone who does? Congratulations! You’re about to enter into one of the most exciting phases of your life. As soon as you find out, it’s time to start thinking about all things related to babies—from what the nursery will look like and all the baby essentials you’ll need to add to the home.
This post will talk about ways to keep your house babyproofed so there’s no risk of injury. Also, check these helpful tips on creating an environment where you can raise a healthy child. Let’s start!
Home Must-Haves to Keep Your Baby Safe
Let’s begin by creating a shopping list of all the products you should consider buying to keep your home baby-friendly. Creating a checklist allows you to streamline what you need before searching online or shopping in malls. Let’s help you make your search easier through these product suggestions:
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Cushioned mats
Mats are the perfect functional decoration you can add to your nursery room just under the crib. Aside from providing baby-friendly aesthetics, mats also provide the practical function of ensuring a soft landing. Your baby will start to create bigger movements and possibly jump off cribs. You must see to it that there is a soft cushion for your baby to fall on when they start to jump off the crib. Cushioned mats also work perfectly as a living room or bedroom carpet substitute to ensure your baby plays with a safety net wherever he’s placed. Losing balance is part of a baby’s growth, after all.
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Baby Monitor
Ask parents how they felt the first time they heard their baby cry, and the answer is always the same—they want to comfort the tiny human right away. Mothers and fathers are the same in this instinct, so no matter who’s in charge of taking care of the baby, a baby monitor will come in handy. You can fulfill your tasks while your baby sleeps and attend to their needs right away when they begin crying.
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Baby gates
Babies grow fast. One moment they just lay in the crib; the next thing you know, they are already crawling and walking. They are tiny explorers curious about every corner of the home, even the ones they are not supposed to enter. Keep them in safe areas using baby gates. It can be a playpen gate, gates for the door, or stair gates which you can buy ready-made or DIY using wood or cloth. Just make sure they are sturdy and cannot be opened easily.
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Electrical outlet covers
One of the first baby motor developments is their ability to grip different stuff and explore using their hands. To be sure they wouldn’t lay their hands on outlet holes, consider installing outlets that automatically close when not in use. You can also use plastic outlet covers or buy outlets with strip covers. Keeping any electric cord neat and kept away from baby play areas is also safe to avoid any electric-related accidents.
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Cabinet and furniture latches
One moment your living room or nursery is spic and span, but after your baby has pulled baskets and toys from the cabinet, it’s as if the neat arrangement never existed. Ensure that cabinets won’t fall as your baby pulls their toys using furniture straps.
You can use these same straps or latches to keep cabinets closed and unexplorable from a curious baby. You can either buy these products or create your own using rubber bands to tie around cabinet knobs.
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Cordless window blinds
From crawling to walking, and now—to climbing, your baby’s motor development is unstoppable! When they reach their toddler years, they will climb tables and chairs to take a peek at a window and check what’s outside. Hanging objects are always attractive to babies—even window blinds strings, but these can be dangerous and get them stuck. Make sure that no cord will catch them in a tangled mess through cordless window blinds.
Best Baby High Chair for Small Spaces
Feeding time is another exciting milestone parents like you look forward to, but surely, you are also wary of the risks aside from the fun. Cross the worries of your baby falling from a regular dining chair by picking the best height adjustable high chair for small space homes.
The best baby high chair should be multipurpose and a tool your baby can use when they start eating until they can confidently dine on their own. The best high chair for a small space is also designed to be foldable, so you can fix them neatly after use, keeping your dining area clean and baby-safe.
10 Tips to Ensure Baby Home Safety
Take note of all these products, so when you begin shopping before your baby arrives or starts to get curious, you know which product to keep. Also, check out these tips to ensure your home is safe for your baby.
- Go over each room in your home to check which parts need babyproofing.
- Babyproof all cabinets using latches.
- Strap furniture and appliances.
- Keep all products with chemicals out of reach.
- Have a regular safety check on stairs and doors.
- Mark and babyproof all sharp-edged corners.
- Clean and sanitize regularly.
- Be an advocate of baby-friendly feeding tools.
- Say no to small and easy-to-swallow toys.
- Get everything prepared before the baby arrives.
Babyproofing is not only a one-time task, especially when your baby’s developments and capabilities level up each month. So, make sure your babyproofing is checked and updated regularly.
Going Over Every Room
Let us help you go over each room at home and pinpoint how to babyproof the areas properly. While there are general babyproofing ways, let’s be a little specific as each area at home has its own baby dangers. Checking them one by one will help you be at peace wherever your baby explores.
Living Room
Chairs, the television, your television cabinet, and window blinds are some of the red flags to watch out for in your living room. Make sure to have the floor cushioning like mats, so when your baby climbs up a chair and falls, there wouldn’t be any injury. If mounting your television is possible, opt for this and do away with a living room cabinet. Nevertheless, you can always add latches to keep your cabinet doors closed.
Kitchen
Count your kitchen cabinet, and there are surely a lot of them. You do not have to worry about the mounted ones, only those in the lower, baby-reachable parts. These must be the cabinets where you keep heavy pots and pans or chemicals for cleaning and dishwashing. Prepare your DIY rubber band locks or cabinet latches to keep all the not-for-baby stuff and products inside.
Bedroom
If your baby has a crib, make sure that the crib is always neat. Having a neat crib ensures you’ll see any insect or dirt and remove them right away. Babies may also accidentally grab and pull the stuff inside their crib and cover their faces, increasing the risk of asphyxiation. Nursery floors are also better covered in mats, especially when babies can already jump out of their cribs.
Bathroom
The bathroom can get wet and slippery really quick, so adding a layer of non-skid mats would greatly help, especially when taking a bath. If you bathe your baby in a tub, make sure that you fill it with lukewarm water. It would help if you had a water temperature checker or go traditional by using your elbow to test if the water temperature is just right.
Babyproofing With Ashtonbee
From the moment your baby is born, their safety should be of top priority. One way to ensure they are always safe is by following these simple steps for home must-haves that can help keep them protected from harm. Whether you have a small space at home or not, there are plenty of products on Ashtonbee that will give you peace of mind while caring for your little one, from baby wooden high chairs, mats, to eating utensils.
Whether you are looking into creating a safe environment for both yourself and your child, we hope this article helps you. Check what works best for your situation and make an informed decision on each purchase!
