Resources to help you baby-proof your home

I was going to write the definitive article on how to baby-proof your home, but you know what? It can’t be done. There are too many variables to consider, such as whether or not you have small children who might undo certain baby-proofing measures? Whether or not you have a disabled household member who would lose access to parts of the home if you use certain other measures? Etc.

It’s really down to you to look at your unique situation and do your own research to determine the best way to make your home safe for a baby. Remember, the very best baby safety measure is always supervision. Baby proofing a home is never a substitute for a vigilant parent or caretaker keeping an eye on the baby. But since you can’t rely on supervision 100% of the time, either – babies have a talent for quietly sneaking off before you realize they’re not in front of you anymore – here are some articles to help you baby proof your home.

1. Baby-Proof Your Home – a basic, straightforward list from iVillage
2. How to Baby-Proof Your Home for Those First 12 Months – Parenthood.com takes a look at the crib and crib mattress, at the small things you need to not have laying around, and even at such things as drilling air holes into any sort of trunk or box a child could crawl into and get stuck in (not a pleasant thought, but what a brilliant preventative measure!)
3. 17 Best Ways to Baby-Proof Your Home – suggests crawling around to see your home from a baby’s perspective. One tip I never would’ve thought of: turn your hot water heater down to 120 degrees Fahrenheit to avoid burns.
4. Baby-Proofing Your Home [PDF File]- the National Safety Council’s list. This one contains a lot of general advice, too, such as never letting a baby sleep on an adult sized bed.
5. Baby-Proof Your Home: A How-To Guide – WebMD’s suggestions for baby-proofing windows, doors, bathrooms and more.

Articles are awesome, but one thing many parents crave is support from others who know what they’re going through. Even if you have helpful family and friends, you may find some of them get into the drama of telling you horror stories more than giving you good advice. This can be wearing when all you want to do is get to sleep at night without fear for your baby. One possible solution is online forums for parents. Try JustUsParents, ParentingForums.org and Parent-Forum.com to get started.

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Posted in Parenting on February 8, 2009