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Baby Proofing Your Home
Millions of kids are injured every year by some type of hazard in the home. Most of these injuries can be avoided if you properly baby proof your home. Although a newborn isn’t capable of moving around your home, I think baby proofing should begin before your baby is born. Start by assessing all of the things in your home you think you may need to change. Now is the time to start buying all of the baby proofing devices out there. You can compile a list of items and even add them to your baby registry. If you’re unfamiliar with baby proofing devices, the following is a list of the most popular ones.
Outlet covers are used to prevent your child form sticking objects or their little fingers in the outlet, causing them to get shocked. You can also buy power strip covers that enclose all of the things plugged into it. A good place to use a power strip cover is your computer or stereo/TV cords. Both outlet covers and power strip covers are very inexpensive. You might pay $3 for a box of 25 outlet covers. Each power strip cover is probably around $3-$4.
Baby gates are absolutely going to be necessary if you have two floors. You might also use one if you have a room that you don’t want your toddler to be able to get to. There are so many types of gates on the market and the price varies anywhere from $24 to over $100.
Safety Latches are essential in preventing your child from getting into cabinets that may contain medicines, cleaning supplies or other poisonous substances. These also come in many different styles. Some need to be screwed into your cabinets while others mount with adhesive tape.
Window Guards are to me one of the most over looked baby proofing items. They are necessary in preventing your child from falling out of the window.
Door Knob Covers are good at keeping your curious toddler from being able to open and close doors. They cost around $3 for a package of 2 or 3 and are easy to install. They just fit right over your existing door knobs.
Window Blind Cords should be cut or put out of reach of your toddler. Cords to mini blinds are an easy way for your child to get hurt or strangled.
Purchasing a few of the above baby proofing items is one way to keep your toddler safe. However, they do not replace adult supervision. No house will ever be completely baby proof. Experts suggest getting down on your hands and knees and crawl around your house to see what your toddler sees at his level. This will help you to remove anything that could potentially cause a problem or safety issue. Make sure you have a smoke alarm and carbon monoxide detector in your house. Check them on a regular basis to make sure they are working properly.
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