Simple and affordable way to baby proof
It’s crazy to look back at photos and see what our living room set up was like before we had a baby. Even when he was a newborn, we still had a few decorations on the coffee table and in easy to reach spots. As he got older, we slowly transformed our living space into something more infant friendly.
Remove unsafe items
First we got rid of the coffee and end tables, to the basement they went. I purchase these Infantino foam mats from Walmart and laid them in the living room. Not only was it safer, but also there was more play room for baby and especially for hosting baby dates.
Crib Safety
Once he was crawling around, we had to start putting everything up high. When he was able to pull himself up in his crib, we lowered the mattress. Next, it was standing in his crib. Once he discovered this skill, he just wanted to perfect it and practice it non-stop. Then he would chew on his crib. I was devastated the first few bite marks I noticed; his crib is the most expensive piece of furniture and a gift from my mom. I quickly hopped onto amazon and purchased these jolly jumper crib rail protectors.
Baby proofing the TV was the hardest part
We have a really big TV, it’s a 55” smart TV and it’s the first thing you notice in the living room. So we wanted to make sure it was safe for Cameron to be around. We went to BestBuy to purchase a TV stand. When Kyle got around to putting it together we noticed it was missing a part. We we’re both so frustrated with the waste of time we returned it for a full refund.
Solution: keep an eye on baby and pull him back from TV when he gets closer.
Use baby toys to baby proof
The second baby proofing item we purchased was cabinet locks from Canadian Tire. Brought them home only to discover, they weren’t made to fit with our cabinet drawers or cupboards. Back to the store these went and back to the drawing board on how the heck we were going to baby proof and keep Cameron safe. Someone mentioned to me about using the child’s “links” to shut cupboards and that’s exactly what we did, it worked like a charm!
Let them play with all the plastic utensils in the kitchen
We still had a few drawers that we could not keep locked, so we moved all the safe utensils into these spaces: spatulas, colanders, the whisk, wooden spoons, plastic measuring cups etc. He loves to open up the drawers, drag all those things out and play with them.
We made sure to anchor all large and heavy furniture: book shelves and portable cabinets.
In the bathroom, I used the link method on the cupboards and I removed the toilet paper from the role and kept it up high.
Worth the investment : a baby gate
One thing we did invest in was a baby gate. But only one. When I was upstairs, I would take it from downstairs and put it at the top of the stairs.
Keeping your eyes on the prize
The reason he stays so safe in our home is mainly because Kyle and I are always watching him, at all times. I know his next move before he even knows it. Yes, it’s exhausting and you’re always on your feet and there’s rarely a moment of piece and quiet, but isn’t that what parenting is all about?
The infant stage is so short, it seems silly to invest so much money in baby proofing when there’s so many hacks and DIY options.
I hope you find this post helpful if you have a crawler on your hands. Let me know in the comments below what baby proofing hacks worked well for you and your family.
