There’s a lot of work to be done around the house before you bring home your little bundle of joy, from building a nursery to retiring the glass coffee table to removing breakable objects. But ensuring that your home is safe for baby can be a mind-boggling process, with dozens of companies offering a plethora of products that every expectant mother “needs”. So what can you do to childproof your home when you don’t know which products are essential (and your budget is already stretched too thin)? A few common-sense items can turn you in the right direction.
1. Bumpers. These are traditionally made for the crib (pads that go around the inside). But you can also find them for corners (of walls, tables, etc.) Babies and toddlers run into things when they’re learning to use their bodies (whether they’re rolling, scooting, crawling, or walking) and they face almost certain bruising, and in some cases, serious injury from these accidents. Luckily, bumpers come in a wide variety of styles and prices, so you’re sure to find the products you need at a price you can afford. Check out Amazon to find a great selection of low-priced kid-cushions.
2. Outlet covers. These plastic covers can be purchased pretty cheaply at any hardware store and they protect your child from possible electrocution. Kids are at outlet level and it can be mighty tempting for the curious tot to stick fingers and other objects into those mysterious holes, so keep them covered to circumvent serious injury.
3. Safety latches. Again, these can be found at your local hardware store. For a pittance, you can keep your child from accessing cupboards containing trash, harmful chemicals, and heavy or dangerous items like cookware.
4. Baby gates. Falling is one of the major causes of accident and death among infants and toddlers, and with simple barriers starting at around $30, there’s really no reason not to place them on the stairways in your home.
5. Brackets and safety straps. As kids go from crawling to walking, they’re going to need a little help getting up, and they will use anything, from your pant-leg to the family pet to furniture and shelves. So make sure heavy items like shelving units and entertainment centers (not to mention the electronics resting on them) are securely fastened to the wall by installing brackets and/or safety straps. They are a quick fix to ensure that your little one doesn’t bring the whole mess down on his head.
While every home requires different considerations where child safety is concerned, you don’t need every item on the market and you certainly shouldn’t spend a fortune. You’ll never make your home entirely childproof (they find ways to get into the darnedest predicaments that you never even imagined), but you can definitely go a long way towards ensuring their safety (and save some money in the process) by using a little common sense and shopping around.
Jennifer Kardish is a communications coordinator at Cheap Kitchen Cabinets. You can check out their free design tips for your kitchen and home.
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