How to Baby-Proof a Room
Baby-proofing a room is a must for parents of babies and small children. Babies and toddlers often travel from room to room holding onto things and tugging on others along the way. Some items can be safety hazards to these small children though, causing serious injury. Baby-proofing a room can help keep them out of danger and allow curious little children to explore the world around them in a safe environment. Begin by inspecting a room and identifying the safety hazards that may exist. Make a list of items that need to be repaired, removed or secured to prevent injuries from occurring.
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Things You'll Need
- Power drill
- 1-1/2 inch Phillips-head screws
- Scissors
- Socket safety plugs
- Edge guards
- Corner guards
- Doorknob covers
Instructions
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Remove large items such as bookcases or televisions that could fall on the baby. Babies tend to bump into furniture while crawling, and hold onto or lean on things when learning to walk. These large items can tip over if bumped or tugged on and injure the child. If bookcases will be placed in the room, select styles that are no taller than 3 feet and secure them by drilling through the back into and the wall with 1-1/2 inch Phillips-head screws. Place only items in the bookcase that will not hurt if they fall on the child and do not present choking hazards.
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Cut long cords from blinds and draperies with scissors. Cords used to open and close blinds or window shades should be no longer than 6 inches, to prevent strangulation or entanglement from occurring. Also secure draperies and blinds to the windowsill by tightening any loose screws with a power drill. Remove blinds or draperies that may be damaged to prevent them from falling onto the baby.
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Plug all electrical sockets with socket safety plugs. These plastic plugs are designed to be inserted into exposed electrical sockets, covering them. Safety plugs prevent babies and small children from inserting fingers or foreign objects into the sockets, which can electrocute them.
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Cover sharp edges and corners of furniture with corner guards. These guards can be adhered to the edges and corners of furniture to prevent injury in case the baby bumps or runs into it. Select corner and edge guards that are shock absorbent, latex free and nontoxic.
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Place doorknob covers on doors to prevent small children from entering closets or locking themselves in a space. These have loose covers that snap around doorknobs, making it difficult for babies to twist or turn them. Parents and older children will still be able to grip the knobs and turn them to open the doors.
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References
- Photo Credit baby image by Yvonne Bogdanski from Fotolia.com
