Babies Leave No Stone Unturned Fight Back By Babyproofing Your House

Nothing can prepare you for having a baby in the house. You can read all the books you want to know what to expect, how to handle a screaming baby, how much to feed him or her, what types of bottles to use, the right kind of diaper, etc.

The list is virtually endless.

While this advice can be extremely useful, especially when the child is on his or her back, most suggestions come with a caveat, namely that conventional wisdom flies out the door when your baby becomes a toddler.

At this point, the advice for young parents gets a bit hazy. Your toddler will likely begin to crawl or walk around the house, trying to pull, squeeze, push and feel their way around, testing new surfaces. Your best defense at this stage, is babyproofing your home. Several studies show that accidents are the leading cause of death in children, and a Center for Injury Research and Policy study found that between the ages of 1 and 13, twice as many children die within their first year of life. The study also discovered that about 3.4 million children suffer unintentional injuries in the home every year.

But this does not mean that you need to panic; it simply means that with a little extra diligence, and some baby safety products, your child can develop safely, and explore as much as he or she needs.

So, what should you do?

First, you should make sure that all of your outlets are covered. Every day, about 7 children are taken to the emergency for shock-induced injuries from playing with an outlet. You can buy the usual plastic wall outlet covers to place over every outlet in your house, or have an electrician replace your outlets with child-safe ones. There are also safety plates you can buy that slide on top of your existing outlet. As soon as you unplug an appliance, you can slide the plate into position, blocking the open outlet.

Next, be sure that you keep any sharp objects out of their reach. This is especially important if your child is starting to grab onto ledges and lift him or herself up, and could be one of the most critical pieces of advice for young parents. Cuts account for the largest percentage of accidental home injuries, and pens, pencils, markers, and other writing implements are just as important to place further back on the table or in drawers as scissors or knives. Cuts can also stem from broken plastic toys that might have been chewed up by your toddler, and loose paper strewn on the floor. You will want to consider childproofing cabinets that contain glass dishes, bowls or sharp implements as well.

Burns account for 13% of home injuries, the second largest contributor to unintentional accidents. This means that you will need to keep your kettle far away from your child’s reach, and turn the stove off when he or she is around. Also, wind up your shaver, hair straightener, and hair dryer cords after you use them. A baby can always reach up and pull these down, and suffer a nasty burn.

Above all, keep an eye on your baby as all times. There is no substitute to watching your toddler’s every move, and guiding him or her away from any potentially dangerous situation. Monitoring your child is not an easy task, but by following this advice for young parents, and after getting a little experience under your belt, you will get the hang of it. Read this website for more information: rhoost.com