[redhedded]

What were/are your favorite childproofing items/solutions? When did you childproof, at the first sign of business or long before? How long did you maintain a "proofed" environment?

[NDN]

I childproofed when the little guy started getting around in his walker because, even though he wasn't anywhere near walking (and he never crawled) he could go so many new places and had quite a reach so he could get into lots of stuff. My favorite things are the magnetic cabinet locks. They are screwed inside the door of the cabinet and are opened using a strong magnetic "key" to release the mechanism. Now that my kids are 3 & 5, these are the only locks that they still can't get into (yes I STILL have ALL my childproofing stuff up with no intention of taking most of it down). I also used those door knob covers on any door that I didn't want them in--especially closets because they just loved to go and pull everything out. As for plugs, my kids have each been able to pull those plastic insert out since they were 2...but I love the outlet covers where it replaces the coverplate and the mechanism is spring loaded--you use the plug to turn it before you can push it in. I have these on all the low level outlets that they can get to. A must around here is the vcr lock as my son, who could not yet walk at the time, decided to put his peanut butter crackers into the machine and basically fried it--I left him sitting on a blanket to walk into the hall for a diaper (he was a quick little guy) .

[McNally720]

Too funny about the PB crackers...well, funny because it isn't my VCR!!

We started child proofing as Megan starting crawling at 6.5 months. The biggest thing for us has been cords...I never knew how many we had until she started finding them all!! We're using furniture to block access to the DVD set up right now (the coffee table is too high for her, but low enough for us), and have a gate across a corner that has a cable hookup and some outlets in use. It's nuts!

I opened the patio door yesterday, and then had visions of her crawling outside and into the lake....so we put a gate across the opening there too--this will also prevent her from falling through the screen!

I am also constantly vacuuming...she finds the tiniest bits to try and eat!!

[SchmennaLeigh]

We're basically childproofed, minus the bathroom which we're redoing and the gate which we need to go buy, and Nicholas is 4.5 months. Not mobile yet but we're not taking any chances. The stuff is purchased to child proof the bathroom and when it's finished, we'll do so!

[echaos]

Originally Posted by NDN

I childproofed when the little guy started getting around in his walker because, even though he wasn't anywhere near walking (and he never crawled) he could go so many new places and had quite a reach so he could get into lots of stuff.

Slightly off topic... I thought walkers were banned and illegal everywhere because of the danger they pose? Do they still sell them in some places?

[SchmennaLeigh]

Walmart does. But we're not purchasing one even though my Husband desperately wants one.

Edit: For Nick, not for him. LOL.

[echaos]

When we moved to our new house last fall we didn't put up any baby proofing. Liam was 3 years, 2 months.

Of course he fell down the wooden stairs 2 days after we moved in and ended up at the ER for his first CAT scan....

[mckenna]

my house is very lightly baby proofed, outlet covers and a gate in front of the stairs going to the upstairs and locks on medicine container. other than that pretty much everything is fair game. if i see the little one's getting into something they shouldn't, i move it to where they can't get to it. it has worked for us so far. my sister on the other hand would have everything, including her child wrapped in bubble wrap 24/7!

[kllee4]

Yeah, as far as I understood it, walkers should no tbe used although the stationary ones (think Exersaucer models) are fine as long as they don't come off of the base. I was told that if you have a one story home with no potential for them falling, then it might be acceptable.

As far as my house, it's been childproofed ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS, since I do childcare/teach preschool in my home. The funny thing is that my boys are much older (9 to 16) and they HATE it!!! But it has to be done because the little ones can seem to get into ANYTHING that isn't childproofed. I even had to find some mesh netting to place over the slats in my stair so little heads couldn't squeeze through!

[NDN]

Originally Posted by echaos

Slightly off topic... I thought walkers were banned and illegal everywhere because of the danger they pose? Do they still sell them in some places?

I know Wal mart sells them. Everyone still uses them around here...very few people have excersaucers--and my son always refused to sit in one because he wanted to be mobile. I used one because the only risk that I read about was with stairs, and we only have a 1 story house. Are there other risks associated with walkers? The nurse from the health department checked out our walker and said it was safe, she never mentioned anything.

[SchmennaLeigh]

The other risk associated with walkers is the ability to pull things down.

Example: child, not in walker but standing by self, pulls on the television. Child loses balance, falls down, TV doesn't come with child. Child 2, in walker, pulls on TV but doesn't lose balance because of walker's support and, alas, TV comes down.

If you have areas where carpet goes to tile or other form of flooring, walker can get caught and tip.

Also the false sense of mobilizaiton.

[redhedded]

Andy, I have understood that walkers are still sold but read that they were not recommended for children due to serious dangers. I also think that they have changed a lot; when I was young, they were metal and prone to collapsing.

With dd we never childproofed our house at all other than to put all medications in cabinet on wall. When ds started crawling, we did basics, plug covers, gates at top and bottom of stairs, bookshelves and dressers to the walls, etc. But our house is only lightly babyproofed like yours MC. I realize from this post that my kids are very easy, physically, and that childproofing may be dictated by their personality and level of "business" or into things.

We recently had to add the crib tent after B catapulted himself out of his bed; he was asleep lightly when I put him in. I went downstairs for a minute to hear him fall.

[McNally720]

The other thing about walkers is that they may impede a child's natural mobility (i.e. rolling and crawling) b/c most children can get around in a walker before they can crawl on their own.

That being said, my parents have one at their house, and one weekend a month Meg zips around with the biggest grin on her face! Although now that she's crawling she's not as content as she once was. It's one that's probably less than 10 yrs old and has the option to be stationary as well, which is nice.

At home we have an exersaucer that we just use when we need her to be in one place for a bit--like when one of us is home alone and needs to shower or something like that.

Otherwise--she's a "free range" baby (she sleeps on a floor bed, not a crib), thus the child proofing to begin with......

One more random thought--I once heard of a researcher who could tell what kind of baby contraption you spent the most time in by your gait--walker, johnny jumper, etc. I forget the name, but found it exremely funny. Supposedly this guy said that people who spend a lot of time in walkers tend to run into things because they don't have a true sense of body space (since the walker is a barrier between you and everything else you run into). I spent a lot of time in a walker myself......and run into door frames and what not ALL THE TIME!

[NDN]

Originally Posted by McNally720

One more random thought--I once heard of a researcher who could tell what kind of baby contraption you spent the most time in by your gait--walker, johnny jumper, etc. I forget the name, but found it exremely funny. Supposedly this guy said that people who spend a lot of time in walkers tend to run into things because they don't have a true sense of body space (since the walker is a barrier between you and everything else you run into). I spent a lot of time in a walker myself......and run into door frames and what not ALL THE TIME!

That is too funny. I was a walker baby and I run into stuff all the time. My older son, who spent more time in the walker than his brother does run into stuff more often. But they were both free range babies most of the time so neither of them have the same prob I do....hmmmm...makes me wonder.

If I ever get to do it again I will not have a baby swing (which I had with both and used so rarely that it still looked brand new when I sold it after the 2nd son was WAY too big for it) or a walker. I prefer blankets on the floor and baby slings, so the equipment safety shouldn't be an issue any longer.

I will say, though, that most of our childproofing was done way before the kids were able to get to the stuff. The restrictions done prior to them being able to test it (like locked cabinets) were just accepted as fact. However, things that were child proofed as a response to their having gotten into something, like the vcr or refrigerator lock (ds kept eating ALL the tomatoes so I was attempting to remove the temptation so that there would be at least some for other people in the house), were then a cause of conflict--they simply didn't understand why they were able (physically able...not able because they had permission) to do something before and they couldn't any longer. So, I prefer to childproof before the child is old enough to realize the potential of how fun it would be to prowl in that cabinet or stick the crackers in the vcr. Even if they never test it, it is still preferable to keep them and your things safe while you work on teaching them what they can and cannot do.

[erockybalboa]

Many child safety experts recommend you take a look at your house from a child's perspective. So getting on all fours, you can look at it as a child sees it. Opening up a cupboard, and boom! We get lots of things that they can get into trouble with. Primarily, jewelry cleaner, contact lenses. Things that we don't think about that they can get into. So going on walk-abouts on all fours will help you get a good understanding of how to protect your child.