Mommy Mondays: Safety First

Welp, we have a walker!  Last week Thatbaby took his first steps. Which brings on a whole new level of terror.  Because it means we now have to babyproof even higher than we did before!

So let's talk a little about baby proofing and all things safety related.

In the beginning, baby safety was pretty easy.  They don't move around all that much.  Our "safety" products included:

*Video monitor - I love this.  Some people think it's unnecessary, but I can't imagine life without it.  Mostly because babies are noisy little son-of-a-guns.  And just because they're making noises, doesn't mean they're awake. This kept Thatboy and I from jumping up every 3 minutes to check and see what was going on in the nursery.

*Tub thermometer - Probably also not necessary, but as first time parents we were a little cautious.  I still use this, but Thatboy has long since graduated to the "feel" test.

When Thatboy started crawling and cruising, we babyproofed a bit more. Our slate and wood coffee table which was all sharp edges needed help. 

*A table topper turned our coffee table into a giant cushioned-topped surface, perfect for cruising around.

*Cabinet locks!  I don't know what we would have done without these.  Thatbaby LOVES to explore our cabinets in the kitchens and bathroom.  And we don't always want our pots/pans/pantry items thrown to the floor.  The cabinet locks keep him from getting where he's not supposed to be.  And trust me - he's tried.

* When Thatbaby graduated to the regular tub, this spout cover came in very handy.  Although we have a "no standing in the tub" rule, it doesn't stop him from trying, or slipping, or trying to grab at the spout.  According to the main bath-giver in Thathouse, this has proven quite useful.

And that's pretty much it.  For everything else we used the same philosophy we did with doggie proofing - set the baby up for success.  Which means we removed all temptations from reaching distance.  All books, cds, dvds, and things that could be pulled down from the shelves got placed in fabric drawers, making their contents less desireable.  Anything with a cord was no longer left out.  All reachable surfaces were cleared. 

We instituted a few "no" rules - no touching the oven, no standing in the bathtub, no eating the dog's food - and continue to reinforce those.

And at the same time, we created a lot of things to him explore at his level.  The bottom shelves got books and toys added to them, to keep him more interested in things he can play with.  And for the most part, he has free reign in the house with something to play with in every room.  Because no one responds well to hearing "no" all the time!