Childproofing The Bedrooms
How can children unintentionally injure themselves in the bedroom?
Children can injure themselves in the bedroom by, number one, crawling out of the crib, and either falling and injuring themselves in the fall, or crawling out of the crib and then gaining access to the house unsupervised. They can also climb up the changing table, climb up their dresser, or other pieces of bedroom furniture. They can either fall off or have the dresser fall down on top of them, causing serious injury. They could also climb up to the bedroom window and then fall out.
How do I make my baby's crib safe?
When you're putting together the crib, you need to make sure it is safe. There are safety bumpers around the perimeter of the crib, and those bumpers have little ties on them. Those ties need to be able to push up and down. I've seen some customers tie the tie up to where it's on a rung on the crib, trying to make it so that it does not go up and down. But we want the bumper to move up and down, so that when your baby is sitting up and then, at some point, standing up on that crib, they don't use the bumper as a stepping stool to fall out of the crib. So, always make sure that those bumpers move up and down. When your child is old enough to sit up, it's time to remove that bumper. Some moms think, "Gosh, but my baby will fall asleep and their head is right next to the rail of the crib." Well, your baby will be able to move away, right? Because your child is sitting up now. It's really the lesser of two evils. So, you don't want your baby falling out of the crib. If you do have an early climber, and some parents do, if it's before two years I would deem it an early climber, that child needs to have a crib safety tent installed. Again, some families have a hard time with that because of the cage effect. But I know someone personally whose nephew actually died and broke his neck when he crawled out of the crib. So, it's extremely important to keep that baby in that crib to keep that baby safe and healthy.
How can I prevent my baby from injuring himself while he is inside the crib?
To prevent your child from incurring injury while in the crib, it's important to make sure you buy the appropriate mattress. There are many different mattresses that can help combat SIDS, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. It's also important to make sure that the position of the crib mattress is in the top position when you bring your baby home from the hospital so that it's easy on your back to grab your baby out of, and put your baby back in the crib. When your child starts to sit up, to prevent it incurring injury, make sure that that mattress is put down all the way to the bottom position so that your baby isn't able to fall out of the crib. Also, to prevent injury, be mindful where the outlets are in the room. Usually parents don't even realize that there is an outlet behind the crib until they've moved that mattress down to the bottom rung. Your baby now has access to it, so make sure that you put a sliding outlet cover over that outlet. Also, when your baby is sleeping, make sure that there is no pillow, no stuffed animals, no toys in the crib. Just a blanket and your baby, which I know is difficult for some parents but that's very important and it is also recommended by the American Academy of Paediatrics to prevent injury. Lots parents also like to have mobiles over the crib, or I've seen nettings. Really beautiful, stylish nurseries. However, once your child is old enough to grab these and pull them down, they can pose strangulation hazards and can be very dangerous to your child. So, following these rules can keep your baby safe while in the crib.
What are "crib bumpers"?
A crib bumper is the padding you put in the crib that goes around its circumference to keep the baby from bumping his or her head while he or she is sleeping in the crib. It's important to take the crib bumper out once your child is sitting up because it can be used as a stepping stool to get out or fall out of the crib.
Why should I purchase a baby monitor?
Purchasing a baby monitor is a must-have for any mom because you want to know what your child is doing. If your child is crying and needs your help, then with a baby monitor you can hear if you need to go to your child immediately to help them out. If your child is in the crib playing and having a great old time and everything's safe because you've followed the safety rules and your child isn't in any type of danger, with a baby monitor you can let your baby play and enjoy free play time in the crib.
What should I look for when buying a baby monitor?
When buying a baby monitor, be sure to keep your receipt because some work like a charm and some don't. What you need is the best audio possible. And you need to make sure that the channel is set for your home, because you might be picking up the frequency from your next door neighbor's home. They also pick up cell phone frequency or landline frequency, so you need to be mindful of that. There's several different channels, so if you think it isn't working when you bring it home, just change the channel on your home landline and then on your baby monitor landline. And probably another important thing to assess is how far you can take the monitor. Does it work with one of the monitors being up in the baby room, and, say you want to be out on the front porch, does it work all the way out there? So I would think that the audio quality is extremely important, and then the range.
Where is the most effective place to put a baby monitor?
The most effective place to put a baby monitor is near the crib, but not in the crib; many parents do make that mistake. Also, when your child is sitting up and a little bit older, make sure that that baby monitor is not in their reach, because if they get hold of that, they have the electricity, they can get into the batteries, and they can suffer a burn or shock. So, anywhere that's near the baby, but not within arm's reach.
How do I childproof my windows?
If you live in a multi-level home, childproofing the windows on the second or subsequent levels is very, very important so your child doesn't fall. You can use window guards to childproof windows, which come in different colours and can match with the aesthetic of the room, and when you are choosing a window guard, be sure to find one that has an emergency latch. It's an emergency release latch so in the unlikely event of a fire you're able to get out. Then you can grab your safety ladder from underneath the bed, throw that out the window and everybody's safe. If you have a one-level home, or a single story home, you can use different types of window locks to childproof windows. We have an aluminium device that can be attached to the base of the window to childproof it, or you can use a suction cup device which works well with sliding glass doors or just large picture frame windows, as well as small windows. And they can be used to childproof double-hung, any different type of window. It's a great way also to keep the window open, perhaps 3 1/2 inches, so that you have a breeze coming in and out, but the stoppers are there to disallow the child access to get out. Please be advised that screens are not baby-proofing devices. Children will look out of the window, press their face against that screen, their little noses and their hands, looking to see daddy or doggie or whatever else, and that screen's going to give and the child is going to fall. So, do not think of the screen as a child safety measure whatsoever.
How do I prevent my child's dresser from falling on him?
Children are climbers, and they want to climb up a dresser, a changing table, any piece of furniture that you have either in your bedroom, or in your home. You need to make sure that that furniture stays put, and that it's not falling on top of them, and crushing them. So, what you need to do, is install a furniture anchor to prevent furniture falling, and they can be many different types. I like the nylon ones because there's a lot of play, so if the stud isn't perfectly, exactly behind where the piece of furniture is, you can move it, and the furniture is still secure and will not fall. Another great thing is, if you're moving, you just remove the device from the wall, and keep it attached to the furniture, move to your new home, and then install it on the new wall. That's a great way to keep the children safe from falling furniture, and they will climb, so you have to make sure that you just prevent the danger and the accident.
How are window blind cords or curtain tassels dangerous for children?
Window blinds and curtain tassels can pose a strangulation hazard to your children. You need to make sure window blinds and curtain cords are tied up out of reach of your children, by using something as simple as a blind cord cleat. It's a dollar and can be installed right next to your curtain, and is very quick and simple and something that you can do yourself.
How do doorstops and door holders prevent child injuries?
Little fingers get pinched in doors all the time. And we have some great products such as doorstops and door holders, which prevent injury. It's either a door mouse or something that can be installed right in the door jamb to keep the children from getting their fingers pinched, to keep them from closing the doors on their hands. But doorstops can also pose a choking hazard. And if you look around your home, you'll find that there are those spring doorstops with the little small rubber stopper on the end. That rubber stopper can be removed and can be ingested or choked on by children. So it's important to install a single piece doorstop so that the door isn't hitting the wall, but it is not posing a strangulation or choking hazard to your child.
