Baby Proofing

"The essentials:

*BABYGATES*

*Kidco top of stairway gate* (drills into the wall)
- for other gates, i really like the *First Years hands free pressure
mounted gates*
- for other doorways (but NOT stairs), because, as the name says, they operate hands-free. we have those at the bottom of the stairs and we did have one on the door to their room (which we have since taken down but will re-install once they are out of cribs).

*Outlet covers*

*Doorknob covers* (a lot of my babyproofing relies on doorknob covers and keeping doors shut!)

*Stove knob covers*

*Power cord strip covers*

*cord winders (some go on the outlet themselves)*

*cabinet/drawer locks* (i highly recommend buying these at great beginnings because they will take them back even if you open the package and try them and they dont work). we tried every brand on the market and none worked for our cabinets, so we have resorted to moving dangerious stuff up higher and taking the knobs off a few select cabinets/drawers so the kids can't open them. we can open them but they can't.

* i found that toilet locks, while would be useful, are impractical.

* {Baby} can't open the fridge at this age so don't bother with a fridge lock.

* if you have a fireplace with a hearth, get the cushions that you can stick onto the edge of the hearth. we have those.

* if you have a sharp-edged coffee table you can use a cushioned cover, but my advice would be to put the table in storage for a year or so and get a used/cheap one that is round or oval (i.e. no sharp edges). not sure if you have a boy or a girl but my boys have ruined our coffee table anyway by driving little cars and trucks across it and banging on it with toys. they are only 21 months and have done this damage in record time.

* get trashcans for the kitchen and bathrooms with close-top lids – like the stainless steel ones with the pedal. my kids love nothing more than dumpster diving in our bathroom trash cans. make sure your husband finds a new receptacle for his used razor blades (yikes).

* Make sure to have a few drawers or cabinets in the kitchen and bathroom where your child can have free reign. i keep bandaids, those empty medicine dispensers, those bulb syringes, and other harmless stuff in a drawer that they can empty out in the bathroom and it is not harmful. same with the kitchen- we have a few drawers adn cabinets they can access -tupperware, spatulas of all sizes, measuring spoons and cups, potholders -are all suitable for playing with and will keep their curiosity peaked.

* frankly, i would pick the most urgent needs and do those first and as your child develops and gets into new things, then you can go and buy the next stage of stuff. your child won't be into everything all at once and you will have to do a whole new round of babyproofing once he/she is walking and able to reach up higher.