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Original poster

Baby proofing - where to start?

40 replies

Uncomfortable1 · 25/05/2024 17:23

Baby is 7 months and trying to crawl, so we need to baby proof the house sooner rather than later. What do we need to do, other than move anything breakable or chewable out of reach and put corner guards on furniture, and put up stair gates?

I've read different the about covering plug sockets?

Is there anything we can do to radiators as we have a very prominent one in the living room and it would be difficult to block off from the baby.

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MixedCouple · 25/05/2024 21:19

Each child is different our DS was obsessed with the kitchen drawers and cabinet's. And even bedroom drawers etc. So we focussed on that. Magnetic locks and remove dangerous items and placing high up.
We did stair gates although not needed as DS was very cautious and never attempted to use the stairs unless supervised he is still cautious now.

Made sure all choking hazard removed and placed in secure tins etc high up places. Pens/batteries/coins etc.
Socket covers were a waste as DS wasn't interested in playing with them.

At 2.5years old the kitchen is still the main headache for us 😂

MixedCouple · 25/05/2024 21:23

Agree! My parents did jack all and we are still alive with no broken bones or any visits to A&E. 😂
I think we trashed the house though 😂

Namechangedforspooky · 25/05/2024 21:28

KidsDr · 25/05/2024 21:12

  • Don't have swallowable magnets in your home
  • Keep cleaning products, dangerous chemicals (including essential oils), medication and batteries in either a high/unreachable or locked cupboard
  • Do not have toys or gadgets accessible from which button or coin batteries could escape and be swallowed
  • Take care with hot drinks, put your coasters / get used to keeping your hot drinks somewhere small hands can't reach. Consider whether the kettle is accessible if you have a particularly tenacious LO
  • Be careful with hair straighteners / curlers that use heat. They look like toys and are liable to grabbing
  • Ensure that heavy furniture (including TV) that could tip onto a child is secured
  • Ensure anything like a pond, hot tub or pool is inaccessible or covered or just get rid

I actually think stairgates are optional as most tots are intuitively reluctant to fall from a height and children don't usually critically/seriously injure themselves if they do tumble down the stairs. Likewise developmentally typical children do not burn themselves on radiators and UK plug sockets are very safe and don't need covering (which technically makes them less safe).

The avoidable hazards that kill mobile children are drowning, being crushed by furniture and ingesting magnets or small batteries (with delayed presentation because parents / caregivers are unaware of the ingestion).

Scalding from hot drinks and accidental ingestion usually of children's medicine (because it tastes nice) are pretty common but usually have a good outcome.

Edited

You sound like you work in A&E too! Agree with most of this

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sanityisamyth · 25/05/2024 22:21

Do not cover plug sockets. If the long pin snaps and stays in the socks, the bottom two holes are live. All the recommendations are to leave them as they are. They're designed to be safe by having the three pins. The top pin is longer to open the two lower ports.

MrsTerryPratchett · 25/05/2024 23:16

Video on this with bonus cute toddlers.

SpringerFall · 25/05/2024 23:20

We didn't have lots of small items around and that was it, nothing else just led to what was appropriate or not as they grew

BadlydoneHelen · 25/05/2024 23:36

Make sure furniture like wardrobes, chest of drawers, bookcases etc are fixed to the wall so they can't be pulled over. Also tv units.

JustGotToKeepOnKeepingOn · 25/05/2024 23:38

@Yourethebeerthief yes! Actual bubble wrap! 🤣🤣🤣 I had to work very hard not to burst out laughing 🙈

khaa2091 · 25/05/2024 23:44

Try your hardest, but accept that sometimes things happen.
My then 17 month old crawled under a sofa at my parents house and found a fragment of ?nut, probably from a Christmas drinks party. She choked, was taken to our local hospital and then transferred to a children’s hospital. X2 bronchoscopies, x5 hospital admissions later we are still dealing with the consequences.

SparkyBlue · 26/05/2024 12:53

It honestly depends on your child and your house. I never had stair gates for DC2 but had them for DC1and 3 then eventually after nearly killing myself on one I took it away. On DC1 I found the fireplace was the main thing that worried me so I put soft covers on the edges. I never covered sockets and just remove any nice ornaments or things that you don't want broken or could be dangerous.

Eliffant · 27/05/2024 13:17

Thanks everyone. So it looks like I've got the main things covered and I'll just have to adapt as baby starts exploring if (or more likely when) she finds something else dangerous that we hadn't thought of.

So for plug sockets you just leave them uncovered and turned off?

MrsTerryPratchett · 27/05/2024 20:27

So for plug sockets you just leave them uncovered and turned off?

Yes.

RidingMyBike · 27/05/2024 20:33

Stairgates depending on house configuration. It worked well having the gate on the second step up as then there was some space for practice getting on and off.

Put a cupboard lock on kitchen cupboard that contained chemicals. Same with medicine cupboard.

A playpen. V useful for popping them in whilst you go to the loo or need to get on with some cooking.

Don't use the socket covers.

Things like bookcases attached to the wall if they aren't already. We swopped around cabinet/bookcase contents so it was stuff we didn't mind if she pulled it out.

Boater · 27/05/2024 20:38

Move dangerous stuff up like cleaning products.

Stair gates are useful, we blocked off the kitchen which worked well in our flat.

No to socket covers. British plug sockets are safer without them.

livelovelough24 · 27/05/2024 21:03

When I just got married I visited a friend whose child just started walking. The house looked like they half moved out. There was literally nothing in the living room except a sofa whose cushions were taken off and were covering radiators. We sat on a cushionless sofas and held our coffee mugs in our hands. She scared the heck out of me with her "friendly" advise regarding child proofing.

Later, we had three kids, never changed much of anything, just used a common sense. Never had an accident of any kind either.

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