Indoor And Outdoor Baby-Proofing Tips
Indoor And Outdoor Baby-Proofing Tips
Baby proofing your living environment may seem like a daunting task, but it can be accomplished quite easily if you do it right.
Written by Liz Bayardelle, PhD | See Comments | Updated 09/15/2021
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Indoor And Outdoor Baby-Proofing Tips
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One of the most important aspects of being a parent is making your home safe for your children. After all, you want them to be as safe as possible so they can have fun and learn without fear! This blog post will talk about how to baby-proof your living environment both inside and outside the house. You may need to buy a few new items or could even use old things around the house to baby-proof your home.
Baby proofing your living environment may seem like a daunting task, but it can be accomplished quite easily when considering the following.
Baby-Proofing Indoors
Baby Gates
These are great items to have in your home, but they must be set up correctly. For example, if you have them installed too high or on the wrong type of door frame, there may be some issues with how secure and effective they really are. The best way to ensure that baby gates work for you is by making sure you install them at the proper height from top to bottom on all sides of any staircases or areas where babies will be crawling around.
Baby Gates should never block an exit. Instead, if possible, always leave at least one exit route open so that adults can move through quickly when needed.
Cabinet Latches
Cabinets latches are the best way to keep your baby safe in their room or around any cabinets you have at home. They are effortless to use for adults and almost impossible for children under a certain age to open. These latches will prevent unfortunate accidents like chemical spills on your child and keep them away from sharp knives.
Cabinet latches are not only great-looking but also extremely practical. You can even choose one that matches your cabinet's design perfectly! We recommend using child-resistant locks if you want the most safety possible while keeping them convenient enough so adults won't need too much time opening them when cooking food or cleaning up after meals. Most latches work by releasing two buttons simultaneously.
Plug Covers
These are often overlooked when people are baby-proofing their homes. This is because they do not think that babies can reach the outlets, but this could be very dangerous for your children.
The reason that plug covers are important is that little hands can easily shove an object into the outlet. This could cause serious injury to your child. It only takes a second of forgetfulness to leave an outlet unprotected, and then it could be too late if something were to happen. The best way to prevent this tragedy from occurring is by installing cover plugs on any outlets in your home where children play. These safety plugs require you to push them inside the wall with some force before they stay locked in place, ensuring no one can accidentally remove them unless they know how! They come in many different colors, so finding ones that match your decor should not be difficult at all either!
Baby-Proofing Outdoors
Pool Guard Alarm
A pool guard alarm is an essential piece of baby-proofing equipment since it can help prevent accidents. These devices are designed to sound off if there is a child in or near the water who may be at risk for drowning or other dangers associated with swimming pools. It's crucial that parents take precautions when they have small children around any body of water, not just pools. The most obvious way to protect your little one from harm while you're out enjoying yourself is by making sure they wear safety gear like life jackets or armbands whenever they are near even slightly deep bodies of water, but this doesn't mean you should leave him unsupervised either!
Parents should also try to keep a close eye on their children while they're playing in the backyard, even if it means you have to set up an outdoor baby gate near water sources. Don't leave your child unattended nearby any body of water until he's old enough and responsible enough for this type of freedom. A pool emergency doesn't just happen when swimmers don't know how deep it is, but also when people neglect safety equipment like pool nets, pool fences, or life vests.
Dangerous Weeds
All dangerous weeds must be removed from your garden. Weeds can become very invasive, causing damage to nearby plants and other vegetation in the area. If you have children, they may be attracted to these weeds as well. Having them removed quickly and efficiently will help prevent any accidents or injuries around your home.
Some plants, like poison ivy and sumac, are hazardous for babies because their oils can cause rashes that last up to a month. The best lawn weed control company will always ensure that all weeds, poisonous or not, are removed from your garden to ensure that the garden is a safe space for your children to be in. If weeded regularly, a weed-free environment will benefit not only the health of your lawn but also ensure there is no damage done to any surrounding plants or flowers.
Another benefit of removing the weeds from your garden is ensuring that your child will have a fluffy, dense lawn to play on for hours on end!
Rail Net
Rail nets are a great piece of baby-proofing to have installed in your home. A rail net is a wire mesh that covers the entire railing system on any exterior stairs or decks. It prevents little ones from falling down and getting hurt.
It is not only for outdoor railings either. Many homeowners are choosing to install this safety device inside their homes as well. A rail net can be used on stairs with open risers (the space between each step) too, which can pose just as much danger if your child gets curious while climbing up them.
In conclusion, baby proofing your living environment will keep you and your little ones safe while also ensuring that dangerous items are taken care of, ensuring you peace of mind.
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About the Author
Liz Bayardelle, PhD
Founder | Contributor
Liz (or Dr. Mommy, as her toddler started calling her after learning what a PhD was) is the happily sleep-deprived mom of a toddler (and professional raccoon noise impersonator), a sparkle-clad kidnado, a teenage stepdaughter, 200 cumulative pounds of dog, and herd of dustbunnies (if daily vacuuming doesn't occur). During nights and naptimes, she uses her PhD in business psychology as an author, speaker, and consultant. She also serves as an executive and principal for three companies, two of which she co-founded with her very patient (and equally exhausted) husband.