3 Things I Forgot to "Baby-Proof"

Bringing home my first child was one of the most amazing and memorable experiences. I will never forget how much time I spent preparing her room and my home for the big day. My husband and I spent countless hours installing safety gates, smoke alarms, covering outlet plugs, and fastening safety latches on everything.

I realized once my daughter was old enough to crawl that I accidentally skipped over some of the most obvious household “dangers.”

Here are a few things I overlooked when prepping for my daughters arrival:

Tip-Overs

According to CPSC, one child dies every 10 days due to falling furniture and televisions. You’ve probably heard the horror stories on the news about defective furniture sold at IKEA or shelves not being properly secured to walls. I live in California, so earthquake preparedness is something I immediately take into account. I have my paintings and shelves all tightly secured to my wall. One thing I did overlook, however, were table side lamps and even curtains!

Once my daughter began to crawl, she would grab on to almost anything she could. It’s important to really secure curtain rods to the wall. Even the slightest tug could have them coming down and potentially causing serious injuries to your child. Lamp shades around the living room and bedrooms were also another very important thing that needed to be secured.

Batteries and Appliances

Humidifiers, appliances, game controllers, and cameras are all items that should be constantly stored in a designated spot. If you have older children, these might be some things that can easily be left on the table or couch. Every member of the household should be aware of items that shouldn't be left around the house.

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, battery ingestions are a major cause of death among young children. There were a few times my daughter would somehow grab the remote controller and manage to pull and grab at parts. Securing the backs of remotes, game controllers, and anything that holds batteries can prevent the danger of ingestion or choking.

Pets

We got our dog about a year before we had our first daughter. I’ve got to say, it has been one of the best choices we have ever made. When planning for my daughter's arrival, I made sure there were certain measures put in to place. I made sure that all interactions between my child and our dog were closely supervised. Our dog would never bite or attack a soul, but to be sure, we trained her very well from the moment we got her. It’s important to socialize your dog in a positive and controlled environment in order to prevent a dog bite injury. We also made sure to note how our dog seeks attention and what her sensitivities are when others are around.

Let’s be honest, toddler-proofing can be tough and mistakes might be made. There are so many things you need to be aware of when bringing home your first child so don’t be too hard on yourself. There were so many instances my heart would drop because of a lego or a small button on the floor.

After having my first daughter, I learned a lot about home preparedness. It wasn’t until my second born that I became an expert. I hope you find these tips helpful!