Baby Proofing..

Former Member

So Baxter has started to crawl.

PANIC :shocking:

I have someone from the Children's Centre coming over at the end of next week to go through making my home safe because I asked them to. I live in a ground floor flat so no stairs luckily. I'm planning on getting a baby gate to make the kitchen a no-go area. Does anyone have any other tips??

Planning on getting a play pen for the living room too rather than trapping him in his Jumperoo all the time when I need to go wash the dishes..

One thing he is starting to do is pull himself to a standing position using the coffee table (which is tiled..rather hard).. I can see him slipping and crashing face first into it. I know you can get corner protectors but is there anything else I can do?

P.S. I know knocks and bumps are the usual part of the process!
P.S.S. I know I could post on mumsnet but it's just an offhand post because I am curious what others have done/can advise

Former Member

Not a parent but I recall my parents religiously putting plug protectors everywhere when I was a kid. Some of them are actually still in situ as they don't get used. I'm not sure what to suggest apart from the obvious corner protectors, child locks on cupboards, baby gates and such. If you have curtains and/or cords that reach the floor then tie them back? Maybe get some cable covers for any exposed cables so he can't get tangled in them?

eta: slip resistant bath mat!

Former Member

Wouldn't it just be easier to cover him in bubble wrap for a coupla years ?

Former Member

Hinge covers for doors, to prevent little fingers from getting trapped. Safety catches on cupboards in the bathroom and kitchen. I'm sure you do this already, but keep small objects out of sight, both at sitting and standing level.

Former Member

Make sure medicines and cleaning stuff like bleach is out of reach, not in the bottom cupboard under the sink. Also if you have blinds or any cords make sure theyre out of the way too, usual culprits for horror stories in the news

Former Member

Cleaning fluids out of reach, but beyond that try not to get too carried away. It's easy to panic but the best thing with a clever baby is to teach them not to do something rather than force them not to. We didn't even have a stairgate with sodbaby and it was pretty much ok.

Former Member

My sister used to pick up and chew EVERYTHING, so if Baxter is like that then have a good rummage under the sofas/tables etc for things that he can choke on and move them out of reach. There was more than one occasion where she was found with a coin in her mouth that she'd got from under the sofa or something. Not good!

littlemissy

The main problem we had with baby proofing was that everything we bought was shit. The fridge lock didn't work properly and the fridge just opened as normal and the corner protectors for the edge of tables just came off with a little pull. I came in one day and found Niamh playing with the corner she had pulled off something.

The biggies we were most concerned about was the cupboard under the sink (we cleared it of harmful things and had a child lock - that worked - on it) and the fire place.oh, and the plug sockets had those retainer thingies in them too.

Basically, as long as you are sensible, Baxter will be fine. But you are sensible and know not to leave his drink beside an obvious electrical point.

Also, be aware of over-proofing too. I don't know what Baxter is like but Niamh was drawn to things that we altered because it was new and different. Eg the table, which had corner protectors on, she was instantly drawn to that whereas before the protectors went on, she wasn't that bothered.

Former Member

one way a friend of mine baby proofed the under sink cupboard was removing all the toxic stuff and replacing it with eco friendly and fairly baby friendly products in addition to a cupboard lock. You can make the things to stop little fingers getting caught in doors pretty easily too

Former Member

oh a get rid or move any house plants. My mum had to ring up kew gardens when i was little to find out if a fucus was poisonous to humans or not...evidently it wasn't poisonous considering i'm still here!

Former Member

You don't actually need plug socket protectors. The way uk plugs work the earth pin works just fine as a protector on its own.

Former Member

I found that many of the baby proofing products are over-priced and fairly useless tat, generally intended to prey on the fears of unknowing first-time parents (like us).

Most of ours went unused or didn't work anyway. We had a stairgate, mainly to designate an area. Eventually even that was a bit pointless. It's more useful to just be aware of your kid and train suitable habits, than to try to proof everything.

Former Member

Scary Monster wrote: »

You don't actually need plug socket protectors. The way uk plugs work the earth pin works just fine as a protector on its own.

Agreed. Many of the plugs I have now, you can remove the cable; so you've just got the plug.

Former Member

When I was a baby (30 odd years ago) the baby proofing in my house was

Child catches on cupboards in the bathroom and kitchen. By the time your kid is old enough to figure them out, they're old enough to know not to drink bleach.
Babygate on rooms I wasn't allowed in
Cords tucked out the way
Covers on the power sockets.

I wouldn't worry about putting padding on things, baby has gotta learn how to take some knocks, you do need to leave an element of risk otherwise it won't learn anything

Former Member

Fire guards. Although, I think most people have radiators now?

Former Member

Scary Monster wrote: »

You don't actually need plug socket protectors. The way uk plugs work the earth pin works just fine as a protector on its own.

Not only this, but I have recently learned that the plug protector things are more of a risk than the risk which they claim to prevent. I googled it. Then I took out all of ours.

We only have stair gates and a lock on one cupboard which contains all the bleach etc. That was enough for Superbaby, who wasn't particularly destructive or nosy. Boyo is a different kettle of fish entirely. He's already banned from any room which potentially contains food cause of his allergies, but finds new and creative methods to try and damage himself daily. Big fun, especially now he can bloody walk. God only knows how things will go when he can open doors...

I recommend eyes in the back of your head.

Former Member

Kaff wrote: »

Not only this, but I have recently learned that the plug protector things are more of a risk than the risk which they claim to prevent. I googled it. Then I took out all of ours.

We only have stair gates and a lock on one cupboard which contains all the bleach etc. That was enough for Superbaby, who wasn't particularly destructive or nosy. Boyo is a different kettle of fish entirely. He's already banned from any room which potentially contains food cause of his allergies, but finds new and creative methods to try and damage himself daily. Big fun, especially now he can bloody walk. God only knows how things will go when he can open doors...

I recommend eyes in the back of your head.

KAFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF how are u and the famliey not seen u on the boards for ages.

Former Member

Sorry I had completely forgotten I posted this. Durr.

I heard something too about the plug socket retainer things.. Hm

I'm gong to get a gate thing to block off the kitchen altogether. There are far too many hazards in there and I'm clumsy enough to trip over him.

Had an apt today with a nice lady from the childrens centre who came round to give advice because there are a few things I may not probably spot. I think the main chunk of it is raising objects so he cant reach them. We're getting a playpen too for the living room so that I can safely leave him in there while I do the washing up. He isn't too pleased when I put him in his cot for 20 mins.. :rolleyes:

Thanks for the replies.

Former Member

Kaff wrote: »

Not only this, but I have recently learned that the plug protector things are more of a risk than the risk which they claim to prevent. I googled it. Then I took out all of ours.

Yep, they are. If the long pin, the earth pin, is engaged with the socket then it is live. If the earth pin is not engaged with the socket then it is not. The plug protectors obviously have an earth pin, which means the socket becomes live (assuming the switch is on!) and that's worse.

It's not hugely more dangerous, sure, but I've never bothered with them for that reason.

Eyes in the back of your head are a great idea too. That and remembering the old adage that they're alright if you can hear them; it's when they go quiet that you need to worry. They're up to something then.