When your baby starts walking, it’s a whole new ball game. It’s exciting, of course, to see your little one taking their first few steps, but then you notice the sharp corners of your coffee table. Suddenly everything at their new head height is potentially dangerous.
It’s natural to be concerned about your baby’s safety. The good news is, there are ways you can avoid some of these issues when it comes to keeping your child safe. Keep reading for tips on toddler-proofing your home.
1. Use the Back Burners When Cooking
This tip might be more suited for older toddlers, but it’s a good habit to get into even before your baby gets taller.
If you cook on the back burners of your stove instead of the front ones, your baby can’t reach them or potentially grab the cooking pots’ handles. Now, it might not always be the most ideal or the most comfortable, but this will definitely help you ensure that those curious fingers don’t find a boiling pot or touch a hot burner.
2. Use Corner Protectors for Your Furniture
We all know toddlers are not very graceful. They bumble around and bump into everything and take a good few tumbles along the way. There will be the occasional bump on the head or a bruise, but you can avoid more serious injury from some of these accidents by putting up corner protectors to shield sharp edges.
If you think about all the furniture in your house; counters, coffee tables, desks, shelves, nightstands, cabinets — the list goes on. That’s a lot of potential injuries just waiting to happen.
Cabinet corner protectors provide a bumper, so if (or more likely when) your child runs into something, they’re less likely to really hurt themselves. Many of these protectors will stick to most surfaces, so you can use them on whatever you need.
3. Hide Electrical Cords
Out of sight, out of mind. Electrical cords are fascinating to babies. They love to play with them because they are bendy, and apparently, they are fun to chew on.
Hide them where you can. You can run them behind furniture so that they can’t be seen or tripped over. You can also keep them out of reach and a higher outlet if you have one. For example, charge your phone in the kitchen and place it on the counter so that it’s away from your child.
As an extra step, put safety covers over any electrical outlets that your child can reach.
4. Store Electrical Appliances Somewhere Safe
Whether it’s an iron, a hairdryer, or a fan, make sure that you store it somewhere safe when you’re not using it. We suggest either in a cabinet with a baby-proof lock on it or on a counter with the cord out of reach as well.
This tip is handy for the bathroom. It’s easy to leave the curling iron or straightener on the bathroom counter and go about our day, but even if the appliance is turned off and unplugged, it will still be hot for a few minutes. Make sure that you put every appliance somewhere that your baby can’t reach.
5. When in Doubt, Store Things Up High
Suppose you have precious or potentially dangerous items low to the ground that little hands can grab, put these items in a place where your baby can’t get. This is even more important when your little one stands up!
Things you can’t or don’t want to put in a drawer, store it up high. Put precious decorations and heirlooms on shelves or, better yet, into top cupboards. Cleaning supplies need to be stored high on a shelf securely. It can be fine to keep them in a low cabinet with a baby lock, but if possible, store them in a high cabinet to take extra precaution.
Conclusion
We hope that this list has given you some tips and helpful advice on keeping your baby safe when he or she gets to the walking stage. It’s not always the easiest task to look out for a toppling toddler, but with these suggestions, hopefully, you won’t run yourself ragged trying to make sure your little one stays out of trouble!
Happy baby-proofing!
