baby/toddler proofing

[beyondcrazy]

The beastie is now crawling, standing, grabbing etc and I've realised it's time to stop leaving broken glass and razor blades lying on the floor. Apart from that, and putting baby locks on the cupboard containing all the depleted uranium and cleaning products, what baby proofing is really necessary? What needs to be done, what is a waste of time, what products work and what is rubbish? I want to be sensible but not paranoid.

[LaCiccolina]

I didn't use plug socket fillers, found No! Much better solution. I did put edge/corner protectors on some stuff. Mostly I moved stuff up and said no. An awful lot.

[cupidsabsolutepsyche]

Yep, move stuff up, or 'skying' as my DSis called it.
Plug socket fillers bit of a waste of time, I didn't find corner protectors any good either as DD just pulled them off.
I once saw some particularly nasty corners at head height protected by foam tennis balls - cut a slit and wiggle them over the corner - always thought that was genius.

Um, yeah, get loads of shelves to put stuff up on, and a stool to reach them if you're a bit short..

[solideogloria]

As far as products go, I have no idea, but I firmly believe that you don't need to baby proof anything that isn't deadly/harmful to your child if you are willing to put in some hard work and teach them boundaries. It will take a lot of repetition, but you can start by having your child spend 10 minutes or so on a blanket on the floor, with toys and books and things. But for that 10 minutes they cannot leave the blanket. So you will be spending most of that time, placing them back on the blanket and telling them that it is blanket time, and they have to stay on the blanket until you say they are done. This helps them to learn that you are in charge of where they go. If you are not against it you can pinch their thigh or hand just hard enough to get their attention if they continue to push the boundaries. Hope that helps!

[ZuleikaD]

You don't need to babyproof your house. Move cleaning products up to a high place, don't bother with protecting corners, socket covers are actually dangerous (www.fatallyflawed.org.uk/. I just let mine get involved in the cupboards (who cares if they take out all the pans and put them on the floor, really?) and bash their heads. Otherwise you're just delaying the point in time at which they discover that if you walk headfirst into a table it hurts.

The blanket-time thing sounds awful, btw. Punishing your child physically by hurting them because they haven't got the memory or self-control to do something that even school-age children struggle with is frankly appalling.

[MrsRV]

Confine your child to a blanket & pinch them if they move? Pinch your baby??? Are u serious?????

[TheCountessOlenska]

I just moved things out of reach (for example, cleaning products now in high cupboard and harmless pots/pans under sink).

Didn't use plug protectors, corner protectors, stair gates. She has never stuck her fingers in plugs or fallen down stairs . . . . I must admit she has banged her head a fair few times though!

[GoldPlatedNineDoors]

Safety gate on the kitchen door and at the bottom of the stairs (and top if they are in a bed rather than a cot). Get some drawcord protectors too if you have dangly cords on blinds.

[belindarose]

Solid - I hope most people don't treat their dogs like that.

I prefer baby proofing (in a loose fashion) to lots of 'no', preferring to keep 'no' for more occasional use. I like to use the phrase 'Not for [baby]' too. And lots of redirection.

[Tolly81]

I'll be getting a stair gate to fit to the door to her room as our bannisters are the originals that came with the house and are wide enough for a small child to fit through! Be careful if you put a stair gate at the top of the stairs - its easy to trip (especially when holding a child). Do not get socket covers, they are dangerous and just draw attention to an otherwise perfectly safe and uninteresting socket! I might also be getting some foam floor may things as we have wooden floors and they're quite uncomfortable/difficult for her crawling and she's already bumped her head when she's fallen over from sitting as she doesn't stay on a playmat for long (not dangerous but unpleasant for both of us and I'd like her to be able to toddle without constantly picking her up and moving her back to the rug). We've got a cupboard stop thing for the cupboard with cleaning products in but not worth the bother for the other cupboards - just distract them with something else.
The blanket thing is completely pointless as well as being unpleasant - babies simply do not have the memory or comprehension to understand or learn anything other than that mummy sometimes pinches them!

[LaCiccolina]

Blanket dreadful idea. Stair gates and cupboard lock for cleaning products fine. Lindum works well on gates...

Just common sense really. And eyes in back of head! :)

[SolomanDaisy]

Jesus, that blanket thing is insane. And pinching your baby? I think that might be illegal actually.

[beyondcrazy]

Thanks for all the tips everyone. I had been planning just to get socket covers and a few cupboard locks but after looking at Zuleika's link I think I'll be giving those a miss. Will move the poisons and put all of DH's films and books on lower shelves while mine are moved up... Luckily we live in ground floor flat so stairs not a problem.

[belindarose]

Thick duct tape works well on cupboards too - easy for you to open, but not for them. They try, but it gives you time to get to them!

Glad you're not going for the blanket thing...

[dreamingbohemian]

That blanket idea is seriously messed up. Yeesh.

OP we just moved everything above the toddler waterline and put a safety gate on the kitchen.

Whether you need to do more depends on how your child turns out, I have cousins who would have easily climbed over the gate and been sucking down bleach before anyone could stop them, in which case you might need to do more. I'm very thankful my son is not that creative!

[PeazlyPops]

Surely the blanket suggestion is a poor attempt at a joke? There's no way I'd consider doing that for a moment, WTAF?

[lolajane2009]

we havent babyproofed just loved stuff and put up gates

[lolajane2009]

tbh imo the blanket thing is extremely cruel