Baby Safety Month: Home Safety Tips

As a parent of a baby, it’s natural to be on high alert for any perceived safety hazards around the house. You’ve probably already locked away all sharp objects, plugged up your electric outlets, and firmly latched anything in the kitchen or bathroom that opens and closes.

But there are still lots of other ways to make your San Diego abode baby-friendly. Check out these top home safety tips to keep your little lovebug happy and secure!

  • Bind the blinds – Window blind cords are often overlooked, but they present a serious safety hazard to babies and young children. Keep window blind cords out of the reach of curious infants and toddlers by using cord clips or winders. Most require no installation at all and are very simple to use. (Hint: This is also a good safety tip for cat owners whose felines enjoy sitting on window sills).  
  • Mesh window covers – Protect your baby from open windows by putting up guards — without your house looking like a maximum-security prison. Try out the strong, nylon mesh window guards that blend in nicely with window treatments while still deterring your little one from playing near an open window. They’re easy to install and can be used for single, double-hung, or sliding windows.
  • Hands-free security gates – Baby gates that block entry to staircases and unmonitored rooms are great for babies, but can be a nuisance for parents. The last thing you want to do a hundred times a day is bend down to unlatch the gate while balancing your baby on your hip, or try to step over it with a full laundry basket. Instead, get a gate with an automatic foot pedal so that you can come and go with ease (but your little one can’t).
  • TV anchors – Not to be confused with the ones you see on the evening news, TV anchors are a critical part of keeping your baby safe from large or unsteady televisions that could tip over. Heavy-duty furniture straps are not costly, and they will effectively secure your television and any other large entertainment console devices.
  • Contain the clutter – When you have a baby, it’s extremely easy for clutter to creep in and take over. But things like paper clips, pens, and even sharp-edged magazines or mailers can be dangerous in the grasp of tiny fingers. Consider buying a few plastic bins with locking lids to safely store random clutter until you have a moment to go through it.
  • Streamline the chargers – We live in world of electronic devices that constantly need to be charged. Our homes are full of cords snaking across tables, furniture, or floors — not ideal for tiny feet learning to walk, or for curious, grabby hands. Keep these cords from becoming a baby hazard by securing them to hard surfaces with velcro or hard plastic cord covers, or by using a cord winder.
  • Crib rail teethers – Your baby’s first teeth arrive before you know it. One day your little one is cooing peacefully, the next day she’s fussing and seems to want to chew on everything. Protect your baby’s new chompers, and her whole mouth, by putting teething guards on crib rails — they come in fabric, plastic, or rubber varieties.
  • Snug(gly) sheets – Parents are grateful for baby hand-me-downs given by friends and family, and with good reason — those lightly-used items save both money and sanity. But a tight, snug fitted crib sheet is one baby staple that needs be perfect. Loose-fitting sheets can cause your baby to slip between the mattress and the side of the crib. Also, soft bumper liners for the inside of the crib protect your baby from bumps and scrapes when she’s turning over.

 

Parents have a tough job — good thing Scripps Affiliated Medical Groups is here to help! Check out our articles just for parents, which help keep kids happy and healthy all year-round.

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Parenting
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