September 01, 2022
**September 9, 20222, NAPS is offering a free webinar about this topic, led by Pediatric Nurse Practitioner, Ellen McCue. This is for all parents and caregivers who are expecting or have a baby up through walking toddler age. Click here for more details!**
Parents ask us about baby and child proofing all the time. Questions like, do we really have to do it, how much needs to be done before the baby’s born, and how dangerous is it to put off or decide not to baby proof at all.
The answers to all these questions are specific to you. You don’t have to do anything if you don’t want to, that’s the truth.
But… I want to tell you the secret of baby proofing: it’s really for you, the parent. Because if you don’t baby proof, you’re going to be chasing them around your house, watching them like a hawk, worrying about what they’re getting into. Basic baby proofing lets your baby explore your space with greater safety. Not that you don’t have to watch them, of course, but your baby can have a little more freedom.
So how do you baby proof? You don’t have to do everything at once. We’ve clumped things together for you at different stages. Again, you don’t have to do all of this, or any of it. But we do recommend that you do some things to make your space safer.
Newborn: Before you have your baby, here are a few things to consider:
By 4 months old: When your child can hold their head steady, shake toys, and bring things to their mouths, you may want to do the following:
Between 4-6 months old: When your child is starting to roll from back to belly, starting solids, rocking, and sitting up, it’s time to do a little more proofing. For example:
Around 9 months old: When your child is creeping or crawling, and starts pulling to stand, here are some additional proofing actions to consider:
Around 12 months old: You’ve already done most of the toddler proofing already, but there are some things you can enhance:
Between 12-18 months old: Your child is starting to walk independently
And beyond: Children are individuals with different interests, so you’ll want to tailor your proofing to match. For instance:
Remember that baby and child proofing doesn’t mean that your child can’t get hurt or tangled up in trouble. Kids will be kids, and they’ll find their way into trouble. But you can decrease the likelihood of injury by following the bullet points above.
We also recommend encouraging exploration! If your child loves opening cabinets, lock all of them except one, and fill that cabinet with child-safe pots and pans that they can pull out and smash together (preferably when you’re not on a conference call). Try to find ways to bring joy into your child’s every day at-home experiences, so it’s not just “no” or “not that,” it’s also “try this,” and “look over here.” Finding fun in these new stages can be daunting, but it really is possible. Best of luck!
Emily Silver is a Family Nurse Practitioner and International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC). She is also a co-founder of NAPS. NAPS supports women throughout pregnancy and up through early childhood with an in-depth online learning platform, Nurture by NAPS, a wide array of virtual classes and consultations and even in-home lactation and nursing care.
April 03, 2023
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