Child-Proofing Misconceptions

When it comes to child-proofing your home, not all children are created equal. What I mean by this is that not all children are going to climb into your toilet for a swim or make a disaster of your bathroom with toothpaste and cotton. Not all children are going to get into your refrigerator and throw food all over your carpet, and not all children are going to jump off the couch onto the coffee table.

I learned this lesson when I was a nanny, and I helped to child-proof everything with the mother of the house. What I learned was that this particular child hardly needed any of these things. Now, you might say better safe than sorry but say this within reason. Of course low cabinets with cleaning fluids or poisons should be locked, and when you cook you should turn the pan handles away from the front of the stove. And of course if you have a pool, you want to make sure you have a fence around it with a self-closing and locking gate. You may also want to remove your coffee table while your baby is learning to walk. But it is best to take a "wait and see approach" sometimes with all the new gadgets on the market. Quite frankly you could easily drive yourself to paranoia.

It is good to know all the ways you can child proof your home, but it doesn't mean you will need them all. Companies make lots of money by instilling fear in regards to the safety of your child because it's in their best interest.

Now, don't mix-up child-proofing with earthquake proofing which involves bolting cabinets to the wall, securing hanging pictures that could fall, and moving heavy items off shelves in a baby or child's room. This is important! But before you spend hundreds of dollars on child-proofing your home, make sure your child needs it.

To buy child proofing products request a catalog or browse online at: www.onestepahead.com