Baby-Proofing Your Home

Isn’t it wild how you go from encouraging your baby to enjoy tummy time to wanting them to roll over and then crawl…and then as soon as they hit the ground running on those hands and knees you’re all, “No! Don’t touch that! Slow down! Ahhhhh.” Life is funny that way. We encourage our babies to take the next “step” or milestone and then once we do we miss the previous phase.

I am not going to lie to you, I am actually quite OK with the fact that Leyton isn’t walking yet. I know it will come in its own time and when he does, life will get a little more crazed! He can already make a mad dash from one end of our big open kitchen to the door in no time flat so I’m really trying to soak in each phase as it comes. And if he wants to take his time before he can be more of a danger to himself, momma is perfectly fine with that! 

It got me thinking that I will really need to start baby-proofing my home sooner rather than later and you guys may be too! SO, I’ve teamed up with Allstate to bring you some tips to help you baby-proof your home.

1. Contain Your Child

Whether it be with a gate, a play pen or a door, keep baby in your sight at all times. We installed a beautiful barn door from Cotton Gin Provisions to separate our office/play area from the big open area in the main part of our home. That way Leyton can play while I work without me worrying about what he’s getting into. Well, other than worrying if he’s going to get a splinter…HA! It’s never ending, isn’t it friends?

2. Save the Pots and Pans (and your ears!)

Get door latches, especially for your kitchen and other rooms that could have dangerous or loud items (save your ears!). We have already had to move our dish detergent and dishwasher packs out of reach until we get door latches. If a baby gets ahold of those, it can be deadly.

3. Learn the word “No!” and Use It!

Several of my mom friends have told me that babies understand the word “No” before you think and that you shouldn’t be afraid to use it. The first time I said “No” was when Leyton bit me while nursing. Of course, he immediately looked shocked and then burst into tears. Granted, he probably was just shocked by the tone of my voice since I was in pain, but he learned quickly what it meant. As soon as he started crawling, one of the first things he always gravitated towards was our gas fireplace. It has little black decorative rocks in it which obviously should not be swallowed. So, after about 5 times of saying “No” sternly, having him cry and then distracting him with another toy, he no longer goes for it. I felt bad at first when he would cry but I’d rather feel a little bad at first and have him recover 1 minute later, rather than be in a panic when he swallows a rock.

4. Check Your Windows

Why is it that babies always head for the most hazardous thing in the room? Leyton loves to go for power cords, blinds with strings and the fireplace as mentioned in the tip above. Blinds or curtains with long cords or strings may pose a hazard for little ones who can reach them. The CPSC advises parents to purchase cordless window coverings, as a child could get stuck in the cord or be strangled if a loop gets wrapped around his or her neck. If you already have window coverings with cords, the Window Covering Safety Council can provide you with free retrofit safety kits to adjust your current ones.

5. Get rid of the decor

I wish someone would have helped me think through this more when we first started decorating our new home. We moved in 1 month before we had the baby. Luckily, we did get a round metal coffee table so there aren’t sharp corners to bump his head on. But all the cutesy, breakable stuff and the tray on the coffee table are constantly being destroyed as he picks up each item individually and throws it down. We already have one broken coaster, but compared to what it could be, we are lucky! Ha.

Floor lamps many times can crash over. Our hardwoods make for lots of hard falls and the barn door always has me worried about little splinters. But at the end of the day, babies are resilient and we can only do so much to protect them. Whenever Leyton does fall or gets a bump, I try not to overreact so that he doesn’t freak out more. So far, it’s going relatively well. Ask me again in another month though and I could have a whole different story for you. 😉 That’s what this parenting journey is about though, right? Adjusting, changing and learning as we go!

Want more babysafety tips? Check out these informative posts from Allstate!

What are your favorite baby-proofing tools/products? Leave a comment below and let me know!

This post was written as part of the Allstate Influencer Program and sponsored by Allstate. All opinions are mine. As the nation’s largest publicly held personal lines insurer, Allstate is dedicated not only to protecting what matters most–but to help protect your firsts and the moments in between. Share your firsts with #HeresToFirsts

Images from Casey Marie Photography