Baby proofing recommendations

[dumpling123]

Hi all,

We're starting to think about baby proofing our home before he starts to crawl. Does anyone have recommendations for cupboard door locks or any other bits and pieces we might need?

To be honest I did this with my first and it drew more attention to things she shouldn't touch, everything I ordered just fell off and turned into a hassle. Only thing you definitely need is a stair gate, and make sure you place anything chemical up high. I never bothered with the plug socket protectors as I heard that they were unsafe. Good luck and God speed

Hi OP, I bought these for cupboards:

www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Magnetic-Child-Safety-Cupboard-Locks-8-2-or-4-1-No-Tools-No-Screws-UK-/123380440882?_trksid=p2349624.m46890.l49292

And these for our fireplace corners:

www.ebay.co.uk/itm/EGP-Foam-Baby-Safety-Table-Bumper-Corner-Protection-Edge-Cover-Guards-Free-Tape-/153839831624?_trksid=p2349624.m46890.l49292

Crawl around on your hands and knees to look for dangers. Socket covers should not be used in the U.K. as they increase the level of danger.

To be honest front over think, you can read all the books... babies don't!
A stair gate can be useful, we did for the first as we lived upstairs, for the second we didn't bother as we had moved into the whole house.
Kids bump into things but they do soon learn. Glassware and bleach migrate to higher places. I did use plastic cupboard door catches for the kitchen, they break but I had a big pack.

Stairgate and cuboard locks for the kitchen cuboards that have stuff in that I dont want DS to get hold of (like the cuboard under the sink that has all the cleaning products in). I find having a few sacrifical baby safe cuboards has been quite useful....

I feel like such a bloody idiot. I'm generally well-read on all things baby, but I had no idea until this thread that socket covers shouldn't be used.

DD (16) was very well behaved so we didn't need anything like that - not even cupboard locks.

DS (15 months) however, is a little menace, and is into everything! His favourite thing to do is poke everything with his index finger!

I've just read about the dangers of socket covers being removed and used as a tool to 'activate' the socket. He isn't yet at a stage where he'd be able to remove them (I struggle, to be honest).

Is it really safe for him to be poking his little fingers in there? Is there definitely no risk of electrocution? He likes to press the switches too.

I feel like such a fool.

Bump

@polytheneham I would not feel like an idiot, I remember they used to be recommended and used to see them in everyone's homes! Maybe there is something else you can buy, I'm sure there must be loads of stuff on the market!

Remove anything breakable in all rooms to a higher level.

We used stairgates across the kitchen so that the baby/toddler couldn't get in there.

The only thing we were really careful with was the raised slate slab around our fireplace which we padded (with a door draught excluder) as it had really sharp edges/corners which would have done damage if landed on).

My children have incrementally needed more child proofing, so I’d wait and see what is necessary. With my eldest we only had a stairgate, she was so good about cupboards and breakables at her level. Looking back I can’t believe it as my third is a menace. Magnetic locks for cupboards are amazing!!! But do let them in the cupboards every so often. He loves a good rummage among the Tupperware

We are just at this stage. I screwed the safety strap to chest of drawers in baby bedroom so it won’t tip, but then he’s just taken to constantly yanking open the drawers and then slamming his fingers in them. So sorry magnetic drawer closure things are now in the post. Otherwise this poor fingers are going to be black and blue

Also have stairs gates. None on actual stairs, but on on his room and one living room so he can’t escape in the 2 seconds I turn my back

Tv is being mounted onto wall so he can’t pull on himself. Also bought new coffee table as old one was glass and not fixed onto legs so was a danger waiting to happen

We also have socket covers. But we live in Europe so just 2 pin plugs. The covers cover the hole, they don’t actually poke anything into the pins.