It’s always “safety first” in my household. As a new parent, you want to ensure everything is just right before you bring your new baby home from the hospital. And then, as your baby grows into a curious toddler, you’ll have a whole new set of things to consider to keep your child safe and sound.
Mrs. Daddy Nickell and myself naturally worry about the safety of our children, and whether traveling or at home, she often takes herself down to baby level to assess rooms and situations. It is amazing the things she has found while crawling around a hotel room floor; she recommends a “better safe than sorry” approach to baby proofing, and that’s certainly served us well!
Following suit behind Mrs. Daddy Nickell, it is always important to view your surroundings from your baby’s level – the floor. You can then see dangerous small objects that could be harmful to a crawling baby or toddler. While on the floor, look for things like:
- Dangling cords from curtains or blinds
- Loose objects – strings, pieces of fabric, pills, earrings, etc.
- Sharp objects – pencils, tacks, staples, etc.
As well, when positioning the crib and installing items around the crib, make sure all cords, strings and loose items are out of your little one’s reach.
Now that you’ll be sharing your domain with a curious child who tends to put anything and everything into their mouths, you will need to put locks on many of your cabinets and drawers with sharp objects like knives and scissors. You’ll also need to baby-proof cupboards that are at your child’s height and reach that contain things like medications, cleaning products, insecticides and alcohol. No matter how safe you try to be, something could still happen, so be sure to keep the phone number for the poison-control center on hand.
We have an “Emergency Binder” in our kitchen that contains everything from insurance cards to individual allergy lists. I recommend everyone keep an “Emergency Binder” in a handy place – they alleviate a great deal of stress when a babysitter or caregiver is around, too.
It’s important to remember that your baby’s immune system is much weaker than yours. As a general rule of thumb, never use any sort of pesticide or chemical near or around your child, as inhalation of these vapors can be harmful and detrimental to their well being.
I know that you will do your best to provide a safe and enjoyable home for your child. Keep in mind that safety precautions will change as your baby grows and develops; you’ll need to reevaluate monthly.
Be informed and stay safe out there!
Today’s post is brought to us by our friend, Robert Nickell, aka Daddy Nickell. He is a father of 6, offers his “5 cents” worth of advice to expectant and new parents. Daddy Nickell is the founder of Daddyscrubs.com, delivery room duds and daddy gear for dads, and the Daddyscrubs.com blog where he covers topics about parenting and the latest baby and kids gear, all from a Dad’s perspective.
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