Five Simple Ways to Baby Proof Your Home

Are you getting ready to welcome home your first child? As adults, we don’t normally think our nice, cozy homes are a dangerous minefield to infants and young children. Before you ever bring your baby home, you need to take some precautions to get your home ready for your new little bundle of joy. Here are five simple ways you can baby proof your home to make sure its safe for your new baby:

Tip # 1 – Water Hazards

Take a look at the temperature on your hot water and make sure it is turned down to 120 degrees Fahrenheit. This will help to prevent burns. You also need to get a temperature for the bath tub to make sure it’s in the safe zone. Anything from 90 degrees Fahrenheit to 98 degrees Fahrenheit is comfortable for a baby. You can also use another method to test the bath water. Use your elbow to test the water. If the water seems too hot to you, it’s definitely too hot for the baby. Hopefully you know the risks of drowning so you always need to watch your children when they are in the bathtub or in any water for that matter.

Make sure your kids always have a life jacket on when they are at swimming pools or at large bodies of water. You need to be with them all the time to make sure they are not going to drown. To be on the safe side, take some CPR classes so you know what to do if your child does start to drown.

Watch out when you are boiling water. Always make sure the handles on the pots are turned in so they aren’t sticking out where your youngster can easily grab them. Always keep them in another room when you are cooking in the kitchen. This is the best way to keep them completely out of harms way.

Tip # 2 – Sharp Objects

While you may not think some things in your home are threatening, they can be an accident waiting to happen for young children. Sharp edges on furniture items are always extremely dangerous. Cover them up with some padding or pillows. Keep knives locked in cabinets or drawers. Even your keys can be potentially dangerous so it’s a good idea to keep them far away from the kids too. Be smart and look at anything and everything that could be dangerous to your children. Keeping them safe should be your number one priority.

Tip # 3 – Harmful Chemicals

It is important to lock all of the harmful chemicals in cabinets. Even your hairspray is considered a hazard so keep it out of reach of children. All of those harmful chemicals like Drano can be fatal to anyone so a wise idea is to lock them in a cabinet that is up high. This way children cannot get to them even if they are down low in a locked cabinet.

Tip # 4 – Medicines

Medicines often look like candy to children. Never keep the medicine in an area that children can reach. A cabinet that is up high is usually the best. You should also put a lock on the cabinet to keep the kids out of it once they learn how to climb up on the counters to get things they want.

Tip # 5 – Supervision

While you don’t need to watch your kids like a hawk all the time, you need to properly supervise them. Make sure they are always in eyesight so you can quickly run over and save them from a falling object or another hazard. Never, ever leave your kids alone in the bathtub. If you need to leave them alone, place them in their crib for a couple minutes or use a play pen so you know they are safe.