Let me start by saying that no matter how many cabinet locks, drawer locks, and outlet plugs you buy, accidents can still happen. I urge all parents, grandparents, and babysitters to learn CPR and the heimlich maneuver.
Here's a good list of things to do even before you bring baby home.
* lock all drawers & cabinents.
* plug all outlets with plastic covers but always be alert, baby can unplug your lamp, etc. and try plugging something else in! And don't forget outdoor outlets.
* get cord wind-ups for your mini-blinds or make sure the cords are separated, if they're not, cut them.
* anchor all heavy appliances and furniture to the wall.
* keep windows locked, in summer make sure screens are secure but avoid metal window guards, they make getting out during a fire near impossible.
* use baby gates for stairways but don't rely on them completely
* remove doorstops that have those little rubbers caps, they come off easily and baby will try to eat them.
* fireplaces should have a fireplace guard.
* get a cushion for your hearth, just imagine bumping your head on a hard concrete or brick corner!
* put all medicines and cleaning products far out of reach.
* leave cleaning products in their original container.
* never leave baby in the tub by himself, the phone can wait.
* never leave baby in the bathroom by himself, a baby can drown in a toilet bowl or scrub bucket, all it takes is less than an inch of water. Install toilet seat locks.
* keep all alcohol in the home locked up, this includes cough syrup and mouthwash.
* set water heater temperature to 120 degrees
* always cook on back burners whenever possible and turn pot handles towards the back of the stove.
* keep all plastic bags out of baby's reach.
* watch for anything that hangs over the edge of tables and counters, baby can grab cords and table clothes, pulling heavy objects down on themselves in the process.
* get corner cushions for sharp edges on your furniture, I actually just bought round tables.
* if your using an older crib that has been passed down through generations take a sodapop can and see if it fits through the bars, if it does, do not use that crib! If the can will fit through, so will baby's head which can lead to strangulation.
* periodically check to be sure all screws are tight on your crib, if a bar comes loose baby can fall partway through and be strangled. One night as I was putting my youngest to bed, I moved the crib a little and heard a little clink sound, a screw had fallen right out of the crib, leaving a big gab he could have fallen through and gotten his head stuck in!
* mattresses should fit tightly inside the crib.
* when baby can pull himself up lower the mattress to the lowest position.
* keep pillows and fluffy bedding out of baby's crib.
* keep all toys out of the crib when baby is in it.
* don't place cribs near windows so baby doesn't have access to blind cords.
* don't use baby powder on babies! especially babies that have breathing problems & preemies, they inhale all that powdery dust.
* make sure baby can't get to older sibling's toys, so many of them could be a choking hazard.
* for older toddlers that are allowed to play by themselves in their own room you can buy these handy cushions that hug your door and keeps them from closing completely, saving fingers from pinching.
* always lay your baby on his back for sleeping, tummy sleeping is a known risk for SIDS, remember "BACK to sleep"
* never never never never never shake a baby!
There you go, I'll add more tips as I think of them, just remember all the locks in the world don't make up for close supervision! |
Some safety products are great and others are a total ripoff!
* Those plastic corner cushions you can buy that stick onto the corners of coffee tables and such do not work! They come off very easily and are not worth buying at all.
* Some cabinet locks work and some don't! The type that have a simple bar with a pointed end that connect to a little lip you install inside the cabinet do work, but only for a short time. A 1 year old or 2 year old will figure them out pretty fast! I'm now using a type that has 3 pieces to install, one is a bar you connect to the door and the other two fit together to install inside the cabinet. Instead of just pushing down on the bar to open them, you have to pull down on the piece inside the cabinent and the bar doesn't just catch that piece but gets threaded into it. Even my 5 year old can't open those yet!
* If you have two cabinets together it's easier to use the locks that lock the two doors together. I've used the Safety 1st locks and they work great. There are two pieces, one that your thread through the cabinet handles and another that slides onto the first piece, securing it.
* I've tried a few appliance locks. I had a plastic one on the oven that worked for awhile but it broke and so far I haven't found any that work well there. For the refrigerator I have a simple velcro appliance lock that's simple to install and works great if put up out of the little one's reach.
* I've also used door knob locks made by Gerber. It's just a plastic circle that snaps around your door knob, covering the entire thing. You have to pinch down on two tabs to open the door, if you don't, the knob cover just spins without turning the door knob. These worked great for quite awhile, by the time my son figured out how to pull them off the knob he was old enough that we didn't really need them anymore anyway.
* As for toilet locks, I've never used them. I've always just kept the little ones out of the bathroom altogether with the door knob locks.
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