Baby Proofing the House

So it turns out we have a second climber.  Finn isn't yet walking but that doesn't mean anything is safe.  He can climb on and off our bed, up and down the stairs and he has mastered getting in and out of his highchair too.  He is a speedy crawler and he cruises around the furniture, although it doesn't last long before he drops back to his knees as he is faster on all fours.  

Babyproofing is a bit more difficult with two older children as well and our only bathroom is upstairs which means the big two need easy access to it all day and they aren't the most reliable at closing doors or gates after them.  Because of this we are making sure we teach Finn how to get up and down the stairs safely as well as making sure he is always supervised when he is doing it.

I checked out Sunlife's Baby Proofing tips and they seem to cover all the essentials - it is amazing how exciting a washing machine can be for a toddler and I think Finn would probably climb in to get a better look if you knew how to get it open! Thankfully most washing machines come with a child lock system and the doors are pretty tough to open when you are only one year old.

My top 5 things for babyproofing are

1) The TV - children are so fascinated by the bright pictures and securing it to the table or wall safely stops them pulling it down on themselves.  Finn can often be found holding on to it so ours is safely attached!

2)The Toilet - I have a baby who is obsessed with the toilet so we have to make sure the bathroom door is always shut or he is there with such speed playing with the seat - not the most hygenic!

3) Hot drinks - no more leaving them on the coffee table, they are now safely stored on the mantelpiece so that small fingers can't reach in.

4)The cot - once Finn could pull himself to standing, the base needs to be lowered as I wouldn't put it past him to attempt escape! Making sure there is nothing he can reach and not filling his cot with teddies and cushions for him to climb on has been essential too.

5)Small toys - Having two older brothers means there are some very small pieces in some toys, especially their playmobil.  We have a rule about where it can be played and it is all stored in the bigger two's bedroom - a Finn free zone.

Overall we haven't gone overboard with the babyproofing and we are trying to encourage him to stay away from certain things rather than covering them up completely.  It does mean that we have to be more vigilant but it paid off with the bigger boys!

Disclosure : Collaborative Post