Introduction
As your little one embarks on the exciting journey of crawling, it’s crucial to create a safe environment that encourages exploration while minimizing potential hazards. In this guide, we’ll explore essential baby proofing products tailored for the crawling stage.
1. Safety Gates
Safety gates are a fundamental tool for creating secure boundaries within your home. Install gates at the top and bottom of stairs and any room entrances to prevent adventurous crawlers from accessing potentially unsafe areas.
Regalo is a brand that makes a wide variety of fantastic products for the top of stairs.
I also found these bumpers helpful as well as a banister mounting kit since we didn’t have a very firm place to attach the standard brackets.
Note: make sure you are looking for gates specifically for the top of the stairs. These Mesh gates are great for the bottom of stairs or between rooms, however they do not provide enough strength or protection for the top of staircases. You may also want this now, but crawlers are not typically finding themselves wanting to go upstairs without you, when they are, we’ll give you another guide!
2. Corner Protectors
Curious crawlers are prone to bumps and bruises, especially around sharp corners. Shield these potential hazards with corner protectors, ensuring your baby explores without the risk of painful collisions. often these are self stick, and can be removed from surfaceswith a hair dryer or a heat gun and a helping of goo gone (This is a life saver as your kid gets older!).
Here is a great set we found for a variety of corner bumpers
3. Outlet Covers
Electrical outlets pose a serious threat to little fingers. Safeguard your child by using outlet covers to prevent access to sockets, minimizing the risk of electrical accidents.
Did you know that many modern outlets are already child proof? You may have been frustrated with the difficult time pushing in a plug, that’s because of the requirement for “tamper resistant” outlets in most modern homes. However for the rest of us, we found that these are much easier to remove when needed. They have a small flap that little hands can’t really master and avoid a broken nail when removed.
For the rest of your outlets, it provides us with lower anxiety to put your standard plastic inserts around the house.
4. Wire Boxes
In a world filled with electronic gadgets, managing wires becomes crucial. Kids tend to discover every wire in your home and naturally wnat to explore what happens when they pull their newfound toys! Wire boxes offer a tidy solution, keeping cables organized and out of reach from exploring hands. This not only maintains a clutter-free space but also eliminates the risk of tripping or tangles. Having a few of these are easy to keep power strips from your child’s reach, especially in a n office or TV room:
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We also recommend grabbing a few of these outlet boxes/covers for the things you use every day. I can’t tell you how many times our child unplugged our chargers and TV without us realizing.
5. Soft Play Area
Create a designated play area with soft play mats to provide a comfortable and safe space for your crawler. These mats serve as a cushioned surface, protecting your baby from accidental falls while exploring their surroundings. We also recommend an enclosure, especially with a bigger space. You may think your child is staying put but if you get distracted for a moment they could quickly get in trouble. These two products are great and fold up to bring to the grandparents, stow for company, or move arund as needed.
Baby Playpen from Fortella and a matching size play mat
Conclusion
By incorporating these baby proofing essentials, you can foster a secure environment that promotes your little one’s developmental milestones. Stay tuned for the next installment as we explore safety measures tailored for standing babies.
Remember, every home is unique, so assess your living space to determine additional baby proofing needs specific to your situation. Safety first, and happy crawling!