Key points:
- Ensure constant care and supervision for your moving baby to prevent accidents.
- Baby-proof your home by securing furniture, anchoring bookshelves and TV stands, and checking the stability of large items.
- Use babyproof locks on cabinets and drawers, especially in the kitchen and bathroom areas.
- Be mindful of potential hazards within your baby’s reach, such as trash cans and doors.
Now that your baby is on the move, they’ll need constant care and supervision. Even though they’re now moving on their own and you’ll be there with them at all times, your baby doesn’t know the rules about what to touch or not touch, so accidents are prone to happen. During these months it is very important to make your home a safe space for your crawler.
Soon after they master crawling, your baby will begin pulling themselves up as they prepare to walk. So, take a crawling tour around the house yourself and check on anything you could pull and grab onto. Test the stability of large pieces of furniture, such as floor lamps, bookshelves, and television stands. Put floor lamps behind other furniture and anchor bookcases and TV stands to the wall. Check that all furniture is sturdy and secured to the to the wall.
Cabinets, drawers, and cubbies should be closed ,since kids like to climb on them. Your baby will probably empty racks of movies, CDs, albums, or anything that’s reachable, so be sure there’s nothing that can harm them. Toilets are now within their reach and if they wander into a bathroom, they’ll probably pull themselves up by grabbing onto it. So, consider having childproof handle locks on all your bathrooms and non-slip mats in bathtubs.
Kids love wandering into the kitchen area when they see mommy there, so make sure all the cabinets within your child’s reach have a babyproof lock on the door that prevents them from opening them. Think about the potential hazard of anything you put into the trash bins: spoiled food, discarded razor blades, or batteries. You can consider placing the trashcan under the sink and then put a baby proof latch on the door. If you have the trashcan out, you can try a safety lock. Make sure all bins have a child-resistant cover, baby proof latch, or are kept out your child’s reach.
Double check the doors. Glass doors are particularly dangerous because your little may bump into them, so consider having them open or placing colorful stickers on them so your child can see something is there. Swinging doors can also be dangerous as they could knock them down, and folding doors can pinch their little fingers. So, if you have either of them, consider removing them until your child is old enough to understand how they work or putting a baby safety lock to keep them closed. You might consider placing safety finger pinch guards on all doors to keep your baby’s fingers safe. Front doors or doors that might lead outside are something to watch out as well. If the handles are low enough for them to grab or pull from, you might need to consider childproof-top locks.
Keep reading more about how to prepare your home for your crawler on part 2 of this article.
