I'm not the handiest guy in the world. I'll admit it. (Yeah, they don't call me Handy Andy for nothing. Actually they don't call me that for anything. In fact, they don't call me Andy, probably because I don't like it. But I'm digressing...) So when we were preparing for our first born's imminent arrival we decided to call in a baby-proofing expert. Yeah I can (and did) change out outlet faceplates with the funky babyproof version that kids can't stick their fingers in. That much I could do. But screwing in all those latches in the kitchen cabinets and on the entertainment center below the TV was more cursing than I was willing to handle. So we found somebody in Westchester who made the trip over and for a few hundred bucks outfitted our whole house with latches, knobs, safety locks, etc. It was definitely worth the money.
I did install the gate at the top of our stairs. And that took probably about 5 or 6 hours, half of which was spent by me screaming at the stupid gate or the wall for not working right. I think it would've been easier if we just decided to move everything downstairs and live there until the kids were teenagers and we could safely let them go down the steps. But somehow I got it to work without looking "too" ugly. And of course, about a year later we replaced our entire wrought-iron railings since they weren't up to code and we were afraid our son would just jump over it. (We did have that hard plastic stuff all around it so he wouldn't fall through, but the height was fairly low.) And when they put in a gorgeous new wooden railing all around, I made sure part of that installation was including a wooden gate at the top. I didn't care one bit how much it'd cost for that gate, as it'd look real nice and be far more protective than any regular gate I'd have to manually attach. And, of course, there was no way I was going to go through that ordeal all over again.
Beyond the little outlet covers which even a monkey can replace (it's just 1 screw really), the two other key baby proofing items I'd recommend to any new parents out there are the door "finger pinch guard" cushions (C-shaped foam that you just stick on the side of any door) and toilet locks. The door cushions keep babies/kids from closing a door completely or more importantly, from slamming any doors and thereby getting their fingers trapped in them. They cost a few bucks apiece, so buy a slew of them and slap them on every door in your house. The toilet locks look like some crazy alien invention but they're really fairly simple to put together. They're also fairly easy for guests to break as they force open your toilet seat cover in an effort to "just make it in time." So buy a few extras, 'cause they will break. Trust me.
Anyways, September is Baby Safety Month, so double check your house for any dangers you may not be aware of. Chemicals in easily accesible cabinets. Small coins or parts lying around the house. Balloons. Rubber Bands. Your Extra Sharp Knife Collection you just can't live without. You get the picture. Best thing to do for parents of babies? Get down on your hands and knees and literally crawl around your home. Look for trouble spots that you can bang your head on (then buy those cushiony pieces of foam), small objects you can easily grab, exposed wires, etc.
Nowadays, our 4 year old can open the entertainment center beneath the TV and even show our 2 year old how to do it. So our best babyproofing option now is to "just say no." Heh. And to help you out this month, Babies R Us is having a huge sale on all sorts of babyproofing items, along with other general baby items.
Shop the Big Baby Book at Babies R Us
Use the above link to shop through the online catalog (Toys R Us Big Baby Book) and get these special offers:
$10 off Car Seats & Booster Seats priced $40 or more
$10 off Strollers priced $40 or more
$20 off Travel Systems Priced $100 or more
20% off Crib Bedding sets priced $69.99 or less
20% off Lamps & Mobiles
Buy 1 Get one 50% off All Gerber Basic Bedding
Buy 1 Get one 50% off Carters Basic Bedding
20% off Toddler Basic Bedding 4-pc. Sets
$2 off 2-pack Cups
$5 off Infant Carriers
$10 off Indoor Infant Swings (Excludes Travel Swings)
$5 off Soft Play Gyms (Excludes Tiny Love)
$10 on Play YardsTravel Yards priced $50 or more
$8 on Walkers & Stationary Entertainers priced $40 or more
$10 on High Chairs
10% off Wooden Toddler Beds priced $99.99 or less
$20 off Crib and Mattress Combos
15% off Boppy Pillows & Slipcovers 10% off Nursery Monitors priced under $99.99
$20 off Nursery Monitors priced $99.99 or more
15% off Thermometers & Humidifiers
15% off Toy Boxes, Table & Chairs Sets & Toddler Beds from Step2
Buy 1 Get 1 50% off Kiddopotamus Swaddle-Me Adjustable Newborn Wraps
$5 off Bouncers & Travel Swings (Excludes Full-size Swings & Gliders)
$3 off Bathtubs, Bathseats & Diaper Pails priced $12.99 or more (Excludes Booster Car seats)
15% off Avent Dr. Brown's, Playtex & especially for baby Infant Feeding or soothing items
15% off Safety Gates & Extensions priced $14.99 or more
Valid through: September 29, 2007 11:59pm ET
13 Responses to “Babyproofing Gone Wild”
Funny post! It is amazing how quickly kids figure out ways to get around the system, we had this happen at our home a little while ago. My personal favorite is the toilet seat lock!
On another note, I thought all the "baby proofing experts" work at Planned Parenthood.
My husband bought this house before we even met. We were lucky that someone had already gone through the whole house and babyproofed every single cabinet. The toilet even had a lock, but it had been broken. The lid still had the sticker explaining how to 'unlock' the toilet.
My 1YO, however, can already use the DVD player. Where do I go from here?
Great post! I laughed hard and spewed some coffee on my keyboard. Babies sure do grow up fast and learn how to take apart everything you took hours to put on. I better practice my Nana skills. It sure has been a few years....
Makin' my rounds for MCM. Thanks for the belly-laugh this post induced. I'm thinking there might be quite a niche market for Teen-Proofing. All these baby-proofing gadgets designed to keep our little ones out of stuff - now, all these years later I'm needing some handy gadgets to reign them IN! Oh, it's such a journey, this parenting thing....
Wow I didn't think this one was actually all that funny, but I'm glad my suffering can cause joy in others. Heh.
Kyle: Yeah kids are way smarter than most people give 'em credit for...
Leann: That is majorly lucky! And wow, your 1YO can use the DVD player already? That's fantastic! Though I think our 4YO could press play on it, but didn't know how to use the remote. By 2, he was definitely using the remote though and now teaches his grandma and grandpa what to press when they come over to babysit.
Kat: Really? I made you do a coffee spit take?! Woo! My apologies to your keyboard.
Suzanne: Thanks for stopping by! Though that means I gotta give Jo some credit, huh? Heh. And I think you're right about Teen-Proofing. Though I believe it's called "you're grounded."
That is a funny story. I guess you are not a real handyman in relation to fixing things around the house, but that's ok, thats why they have handyman ads. Yes kids are something aren't they. Sometimes I think they have more on the ball than us adults. I mean when they find things that we never thought of, or even noticed before. And when they ask questions that blow your mind, and you wonder where they even got the idea to ask that question in the first place? Their curiosity does inevitably get them in trouble or hurt, and it is up to us to keep an eye on them every minute! And that is certainly no easy task.
Good Luck all, and stay safe!
Great post! It made me think of the things we baby-proofed before my first child was born. The funny thing is, I feel some things are adult-proof as well. I dont know if it was just me, but some of those mechanisims were hard for even me to get around!!
Great tips, we are expecting our second one and many of those I have forgotten but some are now second nature.
Good job on baby proofing the house I need to get started on my home as well as I have a 4 month old - just in a little while she will be crawling around and wanting to get into everything!
Great tips indeed, we've just had the liberty of going to Babies R Us to get all of our Babyproofing supplies as well. Unfortunately we didn't have any coupons and not much of it was on sale. I guess we must have had our child at the wrong time of year
only kidding. We love our little boy..
First off I would consider myself the LEAST handyman in the world. Sorry hun
But anyway I like the list you came up with. I think I cried from laughing so hard, but a tear jerker every once in a while is not such a bad thing
)
Great post! I love the 'just say no' advise. I am at that point also with 3 older kids teaching my baby how to open and adjust to all my baby proofing!
Tee Hee. Well, I have to admit, your more handy than me! When there's hardware involved, or anything that basically takes putting screws in the wall, I am my father's son - LOL. I simply "call the man" to do most of our handy man work. That's why God made handy men (and handy women), right?