Baby Proofing

At work we have all sorts of guards, lockouts and signage to help keep us safe. But what about our little ones at home? Unfortunately posting safety signs at home won’t help when it comes to a toddler. However there are tons of other precautions we can take to keep them safe and sound. Here is a quick list of do’s when it comes to our kiddos wellbeing.

When buying baby furniture like cribs, high chairs, gates etc, etc, make sure it meets the Health Canada safety standards. Please note that drop side cribs are now illegal, even selling an old one in a garage sale is against the law. These cribs are highly dangerous and have caused fatalities.  Make sure to anchor large furniture and TV’s to the wall to prevent tip overs. Use covers on all outlets in reach. Unless your home is equipped with newer outlets that have built-in shock prevention. Always use the safety strap on change tables and high chairs. Now depending what type of parenting you choose, some parents choose to put everything in full lockdown mode where others choose to teach their children not to go in cupboards and downstairs. We’re not here to tell you how to raise your children however if you’re going to leave your cupboards open we suggest putting medicine and chemicals up high where they can not be reached. If you do choose to put baby gates on your stairs, do not use expansion or accordion style gates. Small children may get stuck in them. Then there is the obvious pointers that should still be mentioned (hey, no judgment here… I know if you have children, you probably don’t get sleep…we all miss things when running on minimal sleep), keep knives, scissors and other sharp objects away from children. Keep alcohol, vitamins and medicine out of reach as well. Keep guns, ammunition and drugs out of the house. If you have guns, keep them locked up separately from your ammo.

No matter what parenting style you go by, the end result is the same… To protect your children. It only takes a minute for accidents to happen, so be prepared and put in place safety precautions. Just remember that even if your house is in full lockdown mode, nothing protects your child better than adult supervision.