The keys to a successful household move include detailed planning, being proactive, and hiring professional residential movers. But, moving with a baby or young child requires even more forethought and creativity because you will need to babyproof your home immediately.
Fortunately, many babyproofing products exist, but how do you get started? Here are some tips to make your new home as safe as possible.
Start Early
If your little one isn’t mobile yet, that will likely change before you know it. Babies start crawling at around six or seven months and can start walking at about a year old. Use this time to babyproof your house. Of course, the more mobile your child, the more you have to be on guard, so make sure you’re not behind the eight ball on this.
If you have early access to your new home before moving day, that’s an ideal time to start the babyproofing process. Otherwise, pack a separate box filled with your babyproofing gear and bring that with you like an essentials box. That way, your babyproofing supplies will be available immediately upon arrival at your new home.
Get a Baby’s-Eye View of Your Home
You may not be fully aware of the dangers lurking inside your new home. While you might focus on things like outlets and furniture corners, other elements could be dangerous as well, such as
- Fireplaces – Put a gate around the fireplace so those little ones won’t venture too close.
- Stairs – Until your child knows how to climb and descend stairs, you must protect them from potential falls — at the top and bottom.
- Vents – Little fingers can get stuck in vents and other crevices.
If necessary, crawl around the house and try to see things from your baby’s perspective. This way, you may catch things you’d otherwise miss by walking around as usual.
Consider Unsupervised Children
Toddlers love to explore, especially in places marked as “off-limits.” For this reason, you need child-proof locks on practically everything, including cupboard doors, drawers, and any items they can open by themselves.
Realistically, you can’t keep your eyes on your kids at all times, so these locks can provide peace of mind when you’re not watching them like a hawk. Also, you may need to barricade some rooms so your little one can’t get in, no matter how determined they are.
Anchor Large Furniture
A baby learning to walk may discover that your television, bookshelves, tall dressers, and plant stands make excellent climbing platforms. Furniture often comes with hardware that anchors it to the wall, so make sure to use it! It is always best to be safe, even if your dresser seems heavy enough to keep it from tipping over. If you have a TV within reach, install brackets on the back to secure it to the wall.
Windows and Blinds
Make sure you either keep the strings of traditional blinds out of your baby’s reach with special brackets or install cordless blinds on the windows. Cordless blinds are safer since the strings of conventional blinds present a potential suffocation risk. In addition, consider installing window guards to eliminate the possibility of unintentional falls out of windows.
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