Getting ready to welcome your baby into the family is exciting. There are so many milestones to look forward to – from picking out nursery paint colors to seeing that sweet little face for the first time. As you get your home ready for your new arrival, your to-do list fills with tasks like nursery planning, stocking up on baby essentials, and looking up storage tips for growing families.
Safety is one of the most important things on your mind, so we’ve compiled a list of often-overlooked babyproofing tips to protect your little one.
Crawl on the floor for a better perspective.
For a baby’s-eye view of the dangers lurking in your home, get down on the floor. It may feel silly, but you’ll get a better perspective when it comes to hazards that might appeal to your little one. When your baby eventually begins crawling around, join them on the floor for a real-life test of your babyproofing efforts.
Buy plenty of protective equipment for your furniture and outlets.
Outlet covers and cabinet locks are typically the first items new parents reach for when babyproofing their homes, but there are plenty of other items that you may not have considered. As part of your “hands and knees” expedition around the home, keep a look out for sharp corners on furniture and walls. Don’t forget about the fireplace, too. Make notes of everything that looks dangerous and buy solutions to potential issues. Your shopping list may include the following:
- Cabinet locks for kitchens, bathrooms, and garages
- Corner guards for furniture, fireplaces, and walls
- Outlet covers that can’t be pulled off
- Doorknob covers to prevent unwanted trips into rooms
- Window stops that prevent windows from opening past four inches
- Straps to keep refrigerators and freezers closed
- Anchor straps for TVs and heavy furniture
These items can help prevent age-old hazards plaguing families with babies and are commonly found at stores everywhere.
Adjust your everyday routine.
In addition to buying safety equipment for each room, make minor changes in your day-to-day activities to help keep your baby safe. Try these small adjustments to protect your child:
- Keep countertops clean of medicines, bottles, cleaners, and other hazardous items
- Set the temperature on your water heater below 120 degrees to prevent burns
- Switch to unbreakable melamine dishes and glasses for indoor and outdoor dining
- Place child gates in front of bathroom doors so that your baby avoids many of the dangers that bathrooms pose
- Swap out your tablecloth for placemats to prevent the risk of your baby pulling it off the table
- Purchase a baby doll to practice walking around your home with a child in your arms. It will make you rethink your daily routines!
If your home has stairs, invest in child-safe gates and learn how to quickly navigate them. While they’re a minor inconvenience to you, they can be a lifesaving deterrent for curious kiddos.
Corral cords and cables.
Cords and cables can be incredibly dangerous for children and pets. In addition to electronics cables, the cords used to draw blinds are a major threat to babies’ safety. If possible, invest in cordless blinds. As a temporary fix, cords can be tied up at a height beyond your little one’s reach. In a pinch, you can loop the cord for your blinds up through one of the slats higher up in the window.
Keep a close eye on chemicals.
Chemicals pose one of the gravest dangers to children, making this one of the most important storage tips for families with newborn babies. Magnetic locks help keep cleaning products containing dangerous chemicals out of your baby’s reach. Still worried? Consider placing hazardous chemicals in a cabinet your little one couldn’t possibly reach. Store lawn chemicals and other outdoor items in a locked shed or on a high shelf in the garage.
Store hazardous items and unneeded furniture in a storage unit.
One of the best ways to safeguard your baby from potential hazards in your home is to remove them entirely. This includes eliminating outdoor items, unnecessary furniture with sharp edges, and tools or other items you may not need.
If you’re short on space, consider moving these items to a self storage unit at a convenient nearby facility. Self storage units come in a variety of sizes and can accommodate all sorts of storage needs, from closet-sized units for a handful of items to larger spaces that can even hold the contents of an entire workshop or apartment.
Find your storage unit at Prime Storage.
Whether you’re in the beginning stages of nursery planning or getting ready to bring your baby home, we hope these babyproofing and storage tips give you peace of mind so you can focus on those precious first moments with your newest family member. If your babyproofing process involves self storage, visit Prime Storage. Our locations offer convenient units around the country that can help you declutter, organize, and even keep your home safe for your brand-new baby. To get started, find a facility near you and rent or reserve storage space online today.
