Childproofing – Baby Safety September 20, 2008

One of the most important steps you can take to prepare for a baby is childproofing your home. Little hands will get into things you never even thought of, so being prepared is critical to your child’s safety. Here are some areas of your home that need attention to get you started on your childproofing project.

· Electrical Outlets – You can buy inexpensive covers to keep little fingers out of your outlets, or simply put a piece of furniture in front of them.

· Cords – Be they electrical cords or cords for blinds or draperies, they are a risk. Cords from blinds or draperies are a choking hazard, and electrical cords can cause a shock, or can cause baby to pull something heavy (such as the lamp at the other end of that cord) down on top of them

· Rickety furniture – Be certain that you don’t have unstable furniture around. When your baby begins pulling up, he could pull the furniture right down on top of him. Sometimes it’s necessary to attach furniture, such as top heavy bookcases to the wall.

· Plants – Some houseplants are poisonous, so be certain to keep plants out of baby’s reach.

· Radiators – If you live in an older home with radiators, you will need to put barriers in front of them or radiator covers over them during winter months.

· Fireplace – Be certain your fireplace is equipped with a grill or glass doors to protect your child’s little fingers.

· Stairs – Install baby gates to keep your little one from tumbling down the stairs.

· Cabinet doors and drawers – Install childproof latches so that your baby is unable to open drawers and doors, particularly those where you store sharp objects or cleaning supplies.

· Railings – Be certain that any railings in your home, such as those on your stairs, have no more than a five inch gap between any vertical posts. You’d be amazed at how easily a baby’s head can get stuck.

All of these are important steps to readying your home for those days when baby starts crawling around. But, probably the most important thing you can do is to learn to keep your everyday things put away. Items that adults use regularly, like scissors, pins, coins, buttons and letter openers can all be very hazardous to a baby. It’s going to take some getting used to, but with some preparation, you can organize your life so that your everyday activities don’t put your baby at risk.

 

Baby’s First Steps September 19, 2008

We make such a big deal out of when a baby takes his first steps. In fact, the age at which your child took his first steps will be ingrained in your Mommy memory forever, just like your child’s birth weight and time. Personally, I think walking is a bit overrated, since you can’t manage to keep them out of trouble ever again once they start, but here are some things you might want to know, anyway.

For some reason, everyone seems to think that a baby should be walking by his first birthday, but the fact is that most babies don’t walk until after this time. There are a few who walk as early as nine months of age, but a great many who don’t take their first steps until fifteen months. And, if your child is a late walker, it has absolutely no bearing on his intelligence.

The age at which a baby walks is often genetic. Walking very early or very late often runs in the family. My husband walked at nine months, and I walked at ten months, so we were unlucky enough to have a daughter who also walked at ten months. She was very petite, so she looked like the world’s tiniest walking human. She also scaled the kitchen counters before she was a year old, so you can see what I mean by “unlucky”.

When your baby walks is also often related to his size. Babies with short legs usually walk sooner than those with long legs (a balance issue) and thinner babies usually walk sooner than their more plump counterparts.

Pushing your baby to walk is not a good idea, but providing him the opportunity to learn is critical. If you force your child to endure daily practice sessions, he may just rebel and refuse to walk for quite a while. On the other hand, if you keep him in swing or playpen all day, he’ll never have the opportunity to try out his skills. Give him some supervised time on the floor, and he’ll figure the rest out with or without your help.

If, by chance, your child is not walking by the age of eighteen months, it is best to have him checked out by a doctor. There is not necessarily anything wrong, but most babies are walking by this age, so have him examined as a precaution. But, don’t be too eager, because once he starts walking, all the rules change. Someone, though I don’t remember who, once said, – “We spend the first two years of our children’s lives teaching them to walk and talk, and then the next sixteen telling them to sit down and shut up.” It’s so true.