If you’re expecting a baby, you have to baby proof your home. There’s no way around it. It’s not something that you should delay or avoid. It’s something that you have to do before the arrival of your baby. Babyproofing a home is a must because it will help create a safer home for your baby. A home can be a very dangerous place for babies because homes are generally designed and constructed with adults in mind. With the right babyproofing tips, you’ll be able to create a productive environment for your child to grow up in.
A lot of parents don’t know this, but babyproofing a home can even help prevent fires. Your baby can start a fire because he doesn’t know what he’s doing. He doesn’t have a good understanding yet when it comes to the dangers and risks associated with fires.
Sure, he’ll grow older and wiser. But before that happens, it’s up to you to prevent fires from happening. These babyproofing tips can help:
Keep fire starters out of reach and out of sight.
This is very basic. If they can’t see it, they’re not going to explore it. If they can’t reach it, they can’t use it. So store matches, lighters, candles and other fire starters in a safe and secure location.
Have a fire extinguisher safely bracketed onto the wall.
This is more of a cure rather than prevention, but it’s very important to keep small fires under control. Teach your child how to use one when he grows older.
Utilize the back burners when cooking.
This will keep pots and pans out of reach of small children. Also, make sure to turn the handle away.
Don’t leave burning candles unattended.
This is another basic tip that you should follow, more so if you have an active baby. A crawling or walking baby can easily topple over a candle and that can start a fire.
Keep appliances and their cords away.
This is more to protect them from electrocution, but as you know, electricity can also cause fires. So use appliances wisely. Unplug them when not in use and keep cords in a cord holder that’s out of reach of children. Also, don’t leave appliances like an iron on and unattended.
As you can see, it’s all about using common sense. These are very basic tips but you’ll be surprised to know that a lot of parents forget about them. That’s mainly because they’re overwhelmed. This is why you have to start now and start early so you can prepare and plan accordingly.
When it comes to the safety of your child, you can baby proof your house too much or too early. Before you know it, your newborn may start crawling around sooner than you expected. Although fire safety is not your only babyproofing concern, it’s not just to make sure your baby does not get hurt, it’ll also help minimize your exposure to a home fire.
Looking for other ways to babyproof your home? Read this guide to help avoid the top 30 babyproofing mistakes that most parents make.
