Need for Baby proofing in current times. Is babyproofing necessary?
The New Generation families of Parents is smaller, more remote, and more modern.
With advancements in medical fields, child upbringing is evolving.
We know now that the baby needs to be let explore areas on his / her own for better and natural brain development.
That poses new challenges.
If you are a new parent, you would have realized by now that the whole home suddenly looks now like behind enemy lines, full of land mines!
The sharp edges of the table, the door hinges, the floor itself, and who can forget the Kitchen!
Let's talk data!
As per the National Safety council's “Injury facts”, the # 1 reason for infant deaths (especially those aged 1 to 4) is “Preventable Injuries” - which are mainly attributed to environmental hazards at home.
Simply put, Baby proofing makes the home safe for babies and worry-free for parents.
What is Baby Proofing?
In General, “Baby Proofing” is creating safer environment for babies to explore spaces avoiding injuries.
Baby proofing can broadly include securing the area the following from the baby:
Sharp edges. Closing or keeping away sharp edges
Hard surfaces. Avoiding hard floors / edges
Moving parts. Securing home furniture such door hinges, drawers, Toilet seat, etc.,
Heat and Cold. Keeping hot (such as fire place, space heater) and cold areas (such as freezers, refrigerators) away.
Water. Securing bath tubs, swimming pools, bathroom, sinks
Toxic substances. Cleaning agents, chemicals, medications, alcohol, etc,
Fall hazard. Staircases, Open ledges, Bed edges, etc.,
What age should you start baby-proofing?
Babies start crawling usually from 6 months age onwards, generally by start rocking motions using hands and knees. By 12 months old, babies start trying to walk in their own capacities.
Common misconception amongst parents is that Baby proofing will start once the baby starts crawling.
While predominant portion of baby proofing needs arrive once baby starts moving around, some of the baby proofing is needed much before that.
Some of very early baby proofing tips needs include using soft mats for floor, not keeping small parts (choking hazard near baby) start from very early stages.
New parents will have huge anxiety on safety of newborns and it helps a lot to plan and implement baby proofing tips from the beginning for a peace of mind.
Therefore for all practical purpose, Parents need to consider that the baby proofing starts from Day one.
At what age should you stop baby-proofing?
Baby proofing needs a gradual, feedback-oriented phase out plan.
Some of the baby proofing arrangements start to go away from age 2 and goes upto Age 6. But this is not a hard rule and varies between parents, kids and home.
The best idea is to review the need, test child’s behavior without a certain baby proofing (under supervision) and then remove it.
Best Baby Proofing Products
Here are some of the best baby proofing products we found during our research.
For Hard surfaces
Soft Floor Mat
Whether it is a Nursery, Living Room or Bed room, Soft floor Mat always protects Baby from getting injured while trying to walk, crawl or simply dance.
We suggest you buy the interlocakable type so that it can be easily removed, washed, replaced, moved.
Electrical Safety
Power Outlet Covers
Babies are natural explorers. They tend to poke their fingers if there is a hole and that's where electrical outlets pose a very high hazard.
Use these outlet covers to secure all unused and reachable outlets and be worry-free.
Secure Cabinets and Toilet Lids
Door Lock Latches
This Multipurpose Latch locks can secure Drawers, Cabinet doors, Toilet Lids, Microwave door, Refriderator door, etc., giving peace of mind.
Corner Protection
Edge protector clear strip
These strips can be used as per your furniture sizes, provides overall edge support, can be applied on top and bottom edges, and has got great ratings by customers who bought.
All in One!
Baby Proofing Starter Kit
This Starter Kit from Safety First comes with great feedback from Parents and is an ideal starter kit to get all baby proofing accessories in a single place.
That even makes it perfect for people to gift to new parents!
Baby Proofing Checklist
There are many “Baby proofing Checklists” online and some of them are quite relevant and extensive.
However, the practical problem with parents reading such articles is to take action and buy the relevant best baby proofing products (also same time considering what is not needed and what has been already bought). Better yet, the challenge is to keep track of adding to cart, buying, and using the products.
For the benefit of parents, we at Babycarelist.com, put efforts to present the Best baby proofing products selected from our research in a practically helpful manner. Hence we have tried our best to provide a Step-by-step checklist for baby proofing your home.
Note (Before we get into the Checklist)
Get a basic "First Aid" training.
It is a life saving skill.
It has many advantages over simply trying to protect home by buying gadgets.
First Aid training also provides confidence to tackle situations.
Download PDf Copy of this checklist