4 Tips for Babyproofing Your Apartment
Being a new parent is amazing, stressful, exciting, terrifying, and exhausting all in one. If this is your first child, you’re sort of just along for the ride and can’t be expected to know it all. It can be especially difficult to take all of the steps necessary to babyproof your apartment home without a little help. That’s why we’re here to help you get your apartment in order before the big day arrives.
Get On Their Level
A brand new baby isn’t going to be moving around much, but as soon as they start rolling, they’ll get ready to crawl. Well before this happens, you should get down onto floor level and explore your apartment. Nails or staples sticking out of the carpet or floor, small objects that can be swallowed or choked on, and cords from blinds or curtains that are hanging within reach can be hazardous. Be sure to cover edges on sharp furniture, too.
Protect your Electrical Cords and Outlets
Every floor level electrical outlet should have a cover to keep babies from getting electrocuted. You can even find sliding panel outlet covers that automatically slide over the outlet as soon as you remove the plug. You can also use electrical tape to secure electrical cords out of your baby’s reach. This keeps your baby from pulling objects down onto them or choking themselves.
Install Baby Gates
I don’t know how any parent survives without these. I store my cat litter box on the back porch, so we installed a baby gate that has a small opening for our cats to get through (just watch and make sure your little one isn’t small enough to get through, too). We also have a gate that stops our daughter from getting into the hallway and up the stairs. However, never place a gate at the top of the stairs, as it can fail and cause injury to your child.
Don’t Forget Baby Locks
Baby locks are just as crucial. Put them on any cabinets, entertainment centers, or dressers that should remain closed. In general, keep your child out of the kitchen. As we all know, however, it can be near impossible to keep your child from running off, so make sure that there’s a lock on any floor level cabinet or drawer with chemicals, even in forbidden rooms. You should also install a toilet lock to prevent accidental drowning.
