To ask what you did when infant started crawling?

[nelliebellie]

DS has just started army crawling at 7 months, very slowly at the moment but I know it will escalate quickly!

We spend most of the day downstairs which is hard wood floor. We have a big playmat in the lounge but he often gets off it now and I'm worried the hard wood will hurt him??

And more importantly the baby proof aspect. Debating whether to get a big play pen type thing where he is fenced in if I have to pop out of the room quickly, or if I should get a travel crib and set it up downstairs?

Don't want to be constantly worried about him crawling over to sockets and pulling things off shelves etc But also want him to learn what is and isn't ok (not sure what ages this even clicks though?!) His nursery is carpeted and more baby proofed but it's very small.

What did you do?

I never baby-proofed anything. Kids never went near any of these things until they were walking, and then they understood the word 'no' when it came to plugs/kitchen doors etc. I don't have any shelving that could topple on them though. I think one banged their head on corner of island once (but they were about 3) and they couldn't open doors, so no need for baby gate, just shut the door to the hallway. I think it's a parental insecurity racket made to make you part with your hard earned cash.

Wow, lucky you. 😟

We have wood floors. Never occurred to me they would be a problem and she's been fine. Baby proof everything.

Stuff like remotes I would just move up high. I swapped a glass coffee table for ottoman footstool instead. Moved glass candle holders

But otherwise things like wooden floors, aren’t a problem. They have a soft rug to play on if they choose, but generally hurl around the house at 100 miles an hour where it’s wooden floors everywhere including stairs.

never put a stair gate at the top of stairs. If they climb over or it comes loose it’s a much higher dangerous fall. Add to bottom or bedroom door if needed

Yes keep remote control etc up high, drinks up high. We never did socket covers, table corners etc. Our lounge led to the kitchen so we put a gate on that doorway.

Tv went onto the wall for a few years.

We made up a basket of "normal" stuff for the dc to play with - it had an old remote in (no back or batteries) and other day to day stuff so they could play with stuff they saw me with.

Wooden floors are fine. You will soon adapt to the changes and get used to supervising and moving things up higher if they constantly want to touch things they shouldn't. I would have a play pen or travel cot if you have space so you can nip to the loo, put some washing out quickly but it will be fine .

We set up the travel cot downstairs and used that to pop DD in if I needed to go to the loo or quickly leave the room for something. Doubled up as somewhere to chuck toys in it overnight to tidy the room too.

We didn't do much baby proofing.

We made the sitting room vaguely safe (moved things on lower shelves higher up, moved glass coffee table out of the way) and then put a gate on it so she'd be safe in there for short periods of time.

We also put a baby gate at the top of the stairs and put magnetic locks on the kitchen cupboards.

never baby-proofed anything. Kids never went near any of these things until they were walking, and then they understood the word 'no' when it came to plugs/kitchen doors etc. I don't have any shelving that could topple on them though. I think one banged their head on corner of island once (but they were about 3) and they couldn't open doors, so no need for baby gate, just shut the door to the hallway. I think it's a parental insecurity racket made to make you part with your hard earned cash.

Lucky you with your super intelligent baby & great parenting 🙄

Mine spoke first at 5 months, walked at 9, could do quite complex maths at a very young age etc

She could still suddenly run around like a whirling dervish & her balance hadn't caught up with her ability to walk, climb anything & loved to poke things in plug sockets, steal knives from drawers. She absolutely understood no, she tell me no often if she didn't like what I had to say ... she was also fiercely independent & didn't like to be told what to do & would do the opposite just fir fun.

You got lucky to have a compliant one, nothing to do with separating parents from cash 🙄

baby proof the house and let him move around and explore! Don’t get a play pen - they’re restrictive and babies love to learn and explore. You’ll soon realise what they are interested in the most and what you need to look out for.

We had to baby proof differently for DS1 and DS2. DS2 was a climber so the stair gate came down when he was about 18 months when I found him astride it at the top of the stairs and realised that that was a much worse fall than ‘just’ falling down the stairs.

I took the attitude that I didnt want to be policing dc and saying no all the time, so I adjusted the furniture and decorating in the kitchen and family room so that it was all child friendly. Stair gates, coffee table that didnt matter if toys were banged on it or drinks spilled on it. Slipcovered sofas that could be washed if snot or worse got on it. Latches on all kitchen cupboards except one which had the tupperware in it. No breakables, no high bookshelves (minimise climbing), lamps were non breakable and inexpensive LED ones (so they didnt get hot). Chairs were moved so they couldnt be used as ladders. I was lucky that I could shuffle the furniture and pack away my precious breakables. I also had a spot downstairs and their cot upstairs where I could put them safely for a few mins if I needed the loo etc.

oh and I also had hooks by the door and I ALWAYS hung up my handbag there after the infamous incident where dc1 got into my handbag and got my car keys, we found them months later down the back of the sofa (he must have decided to cruise around with them) and was found with my lipstick in his hands. Thats also the reason to have a high up place for the tv remote..so it doesnt get relocated and lost!