After moving to a new home with children
- You will most certainly need to baby-proof your new place as quickly as possible.
- Baby-proofing your new home is the process of identifying any possible dangers to your child, and minimizing them to create a safe household environment.
- In most cases, at home accidents involving young children could have been easily avoided with some organized planning.
To learn more, continue reading our top tips on how to baby-proof your new home after a move.
Carefully go through each room, neutralizing anything that may pose as a threat to your child
- Empty out the crib of any toys, bumpers, blankets, comforters or pillows to minimize the risk of suffocation. Only leave the fitted mattress sheet.
- Despite the fact that changing tables appear sturdy, secure yours to the wall to prevent accidents.
- Remember to always use the chair straps to secure your baby from accidently slipping out of the high chair.
- Be sure to also place the high chair in such a way that it won’t be tipped over.
- Protect all sharp edges and corners with removable soft foam safety guards.
- Babies can easily bump their head on a sharp end of the table. Having save-guards in place will protect them from serious injury.
Mount safety gates in front of stairways
- Kitchen entrances and doors to the outside, this will block your baby’s progress to anywhere you don’t want them to be. Be very strategic in your positioning of baby gates to help control exactly which areas your child will have access to.
- Close and lock all windows in rooms that aren’t being used.
- Install guards on all windows in your new home and make sure windows are never left open and unguarded near anything they might be able to reach by climbing up on something else.
- Secure all cabinets in your new home. Make sure all cabinets that are equipped with locks or gates so your child can’t get into them.
- Another alternative is to remove all toxic chemicals and cleaning items from cabinets that may be reachable to your child and place them in higher cabinets.
Place electrical outlets protectors
- Throughout your new home to protect your child from possible electric shock.
- Avoid using removable plug-in caps as they can easily end up in your baby’s mouth.
Bathrooms can be one of the most dangerous
- When it’s time for your little one to have a bath, you are encouraged to use slip-resistant infant bathtub with body contours. Be sure to also place non-skid strips on the bathroom floor to prevent slipping.
- Set your hot-water heater at 120 °F or lower to prevent scalding your baby. Install a toilet lock to protect from accidental drowning and to prevent any unsanitary exposure.
Dangling cords
- That are attached to blinds can pose a strangulation hazard because children can get tangled up in them. Install cordless blinds or if necessary shorten the cords to make them less likely to cause an accident.
Take extra care with all of your heavy items
- Mount your television set to the wall
- Armoires and bookcases should be secured to the wall as well.
- Keep drawers and file cabinet drawers closed at all times.
- Pulling out one drawer could cause the cabinet to fall over.
Keep all battery-operated devices far away
- From your child’s reach. If swallowed, they pose a great risk to your child’s health.