Make your home safe and fun as your baby learns to crawl and walk and strengthen their budding mobility with these baby safety tips.
You will need the following:
Sturdy baby-height structures with soft edges
Bath towel
Baby toys
Colorful pictures
Unbreakable mirror
Gates
Electrical Outlet covers
Baby-safe cabinet
Mats of varying thickness
Sofa cushions and pillows
Large cardboard box.
Step 1.
Get down and crawl around to obtain a baby’s eye view of your home, remove any potential threatening objects along the way. Include a few baby-height structures that will support your child to learn to stand. Just be sure they have soft edges and steady enough for them to use to pull themselves up and balance. Screwing heavy furniture like bookcases and dressers to the wall is crucial for baby safety as well. Anything that fits through a hole of a toilet paper roll is a choking hazard. Also, be careful of dangling drapery cords.
Step 2.
Give your baby “tummy time” to promote crawling. Provide them more comfort by tucking a rolled-up bath towel below their arms and upper body, placing it, so their elbows are touching the floor. This will lightly raise their upper body, supporting them view their surroundings. Position yourself on the floor in front of them and dangle some toys just above their heads to entice them to push up with their arms. Laying your baby evenly across your thighs as you sit on the floor with your legs straight out in front of you is one more way to prop them up.
Step 3
Place pictures with your baby’s eye level. Babies don not just like bright, solid colors; they love different hues and patterns in any shade. Spread toys at various heights in your baby’s line of vision, so they gain practice reaching for objects. Babies also love to look at themselves! Install an unbreakable mirror for the baby’s safety.
Step 4
Set some limits. Install gates at the topmost and bottom of staircases, and cover electrical outlets. Keeping supplies, medicines, vitamins, and alcohol in locked cabinets or cupboards too high for your baby to reach is also essential for your baby’s safety. But clear out at least one or two low cabinets, stuff them with soft objects, and leave them open, so your baby has a safe way to explore.
Step 5
Expose them to different types of floor surfaces to help them improve their crawling and walking skills. Put mats of different thicknesses on smooth floors and carpets. Allow them to practice their balance on grass and sand. Ensure they have plenty of open space, and for baby’s safety, ensure that they can fall without hitting furniture or other obstacles.
Step 6.
Use sofa cushions to construct a gentle incline for them to scale. Devise a baby obstacle course with pillows of different sizes; dangling a favorite toy is a great way to encourage them along! Cheer on your baby along the way.
Step 7
Open the bottom and top flaps of a large, clean cardboard box. Cut out windows at a baby level for ventilation and to add on interest. Crawl from one end to the other; then urge your baby to do the same.
Step 8.
Cherish these first, wobbly steps. They will be asking for your car keys before you know it! Did you know some babies never crawl? They go straight to walking.
Daisy is the engine behind Be-Safe.org — from content production to product reviews and more. What drives her is the passion to make home security information easily available.
