The How-To's of Baby Proofing Your Home
by Candice Mitchell
More than anything your baby deserves a safe home.
Here are a few simple steps to ensuring your baby's safety.
A Safe Crib: here is what you should look for in a crib.
1)Slats should be 2 3/8 inches apart or less
2)No sharp or jagged edges
3)It's sturdy and all bolts and screws are tight
4)A firm crib mattress
6)Not place the crib near a window
Room: this is what you can do to make the rest of your baby's room as safe as their crib
1)Buy sturdy furniture and anchor it because a crawling baby + unstable furniture = a serious safety concern.
2)Install window guards
3)Put baby gates at the top of the stairs
4)Don't let blind cords hang low
5)Post poison control center numbers for you, your sitters and relatives in conspicuous places
6)Check that toy chests don't lock and there is a safety hinge that keeps the lid from slamming
Be Your Baby: there are a lot of things we don't notice from our point
of view so get down on your hands and knees and ask yourself five
questions. Is there anything I can easily pull down? Are there any
small objects to swallow? Are electrical outlets exposed? Are any of the
furniture pieces wobbly? Are there any poisonous chemicals and cleaners
in reach? (To minimize poisonous chemicals see our organic baby section)
