Planning for something ahead of time has always been most people’s weakness. But for the few that do, you always find that their lives are ever smooth, no last-minute rushes, or the thought of having to make last minute unplanned budgets.
Take, for example, baby proofing your home, it’s true that no one likes getting in on the handiwork, especially when they feel the time has not yet come for all that work. But sometimes, it can become a necessary practice, especially if you have young ones around. That being said, let’s look at some easy steps you can follow to ensure you create your own “yes space” home.
1. Starting small
You need to start by picking out a small space which you can easily and completely baby-proof. You have the option of choosing a small room or gating off a small portion of a larger space. Make it a space where you can even relax and perhaps even get some chore done, maybe even have a cup of tea knowing that your child is safe and out of harm. The added benefit is that you can even let your child play by him/herself without having to worry about safety.
2. Define and barrier off-limit areas
Some rooms in the house must always be kept off limits to your babies at all costs. Spaces like kitchens and bathrooms are not safe by nature and you must never let your children access these spaces unattended. This is where you can use the baby gate or even a high enough door knob to limit access to these areas. Ensure you do this until your children get old enough at least to handle being in such spaces.
3. Have less stuff
Clutter causes stress, overwhelm, and anxiety in kids, sometimes even in grownups. In such a case, minimalism is the way to go. You won’t need to spend hours of the day, every day, picking stuff up and arranging all those household items that your kid knocked about here and there while playing.
4. Pretend to be a baby
Another way you can easily ensure you cover all the babyproofing steps is to pretend to be a baby. You can crawl around and even lay on the ground. Look around and check for what might interest your kids and whether they are safe or not. This will literally make your job easy as well as you can now also give your kids more positive attention instead of constantly putting up limits and barriers.
5. Set a limit to anything that annoys you
Your still immobile infant is, of course, not going to test you yet, but you can bet that your toddler will. Parents can sometimes end up slipping down the permissive parenting slope where they try to stop their kids from doing something, but giving up altogether if their children keep persisting. Don’t be that kind of parent. Be stern and stick to your guns. Only then can you keep both you and your children safe.
6. Secure furniture and lower your crib
It is quite easy for a child to trip out of a crib. This mostly happens while you are away or distracted, which makes it the more important that you lower your crib early enough. Also, never leave your baby who is sleeping on the mattress either. He/she might roll over and fall.
7. Keep the floors clean
Toddlers and babies both play on the floor and will definitely put everything in their mouths. Here, you can limit shoes in the house and clean your house floors more.