Child proofing a room is so essential and yet there are many who overlook this necessary parenting method. Some parents may think that they have covered all the basis but perhaps forget one or two essential items. This article explores easy methods to child proof a home.
No article on child proofing could possibly cover all the basis including this article. So an ongoing step in child proofing a home should be to frequently do research. Research today is instantaneous due to the internet. Plus, it is simple to join a bunch of forums dedicated to babies and children. By participating in these forums and reading about the experiences of other forum members, you will catch other techniques that will greatly reduce the number of missed child proofing items.
The very first thing you should do is to get down to the height that your child is at even if it means crawling. When you are standing up looking down, you are only seeing things from your perspective, not that of your child. This is probably the most crucial step.
Another great way to increase success in child proofing is to get a second opinion from your spouse or a neighbor. The key here is to have them do exactly as you do, i.e., get down to your eye level of your child, again ,even if that means crawling.
On to the more specific items of child proofing. The first item is to limit where a child is allowed to go. This includes blocking off access to any stair access or locking closets and even some rooms that you don't want your child to go into. By doing this, you will not have as much area to cover with respect to child proofing. Now as the child grows older, you can start to replace locks with education, essentially teaching the child what the are and are not allowed to do in certain rooms.
In the rooms that the child is allowed in, make sure there are no medicines, chemicals or other noxious items that your child could get to if you should temporarily leave the room (the phone rings, etc.) Also, anything that is smaller than your child's fist should be removed from the access area.
If your child is tall enough to reach draws of tables, or is capable of climbing onto them, it may be wise to either remove those items or get locks for them. Anything that has the potential to be pulled out and fall onto your child is a candidate for either removal or lock down.
Child proofing home is an ongoing process. By implementing these and other techniques that you learn from speaking with other parents you will drastically reduce the hazards that your child will come up against. Another great thing to do is to keep a journal of all the steps that you took when implementing your child proof plan. This can help you when your second child is born and needs to have the same provisions. This can also help other family members who are going to becoming new parents soon or simply compare notes with them using the journal.
