Extra Long Baby Gate
Feb 6 '10
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One of the most common injuries to babies occurs when the child bumps their head against the corner of a coffee table. You can minimize this risk by purchasing Corner Guards. Corner guards easily snap onto sharp corners of coffee tables, end tables and even kitchen counters. You can also by table edge guards that are similar to the corner guards except they run the length of your table sides. Sometimes you can purchase the table edge guards and the corner guards all in one handy pack.
Fireplaces can be a very dangerous place for children. To protect little noggins against the abrasive edges, use edge guards and corner guards made specifically for fireplaces. You may also buy latches that will prevent your child from opening up the fireplace and getting into the ashes or wood shards.
Baby safety gates are an absolute must for any home. Safety gates help you partition off certain rooms or areas of your home that you do not want baby to venture into. There are several different types of child safety gates, and each serves a different purpose for different areas of the home. For instance, free standing child safety gates consist of several panels that come together to create a play area or play yard for your child, while pressure mounted gates can be used in door ways to rooms and at the base of a staircase. It is important to know the difference between the different types of child safety gates so that you will use the appropriate gate for the purpose it was intended. Gates give parents the peace of mind they need when baby becomes mobile around the sixth to eighth month.
Until your baby is monitors, you may be interested in investing in a baby monitor. Like baby gates, there are many different models of baby monitors on the market. Some are very simple and very traditional, allowing you to hear your baby should he or she cry out in the middle of the night. Other, newer and fancier models, allow you to not only hear your baby, but to transmit your soothing voice back to baby through your receiver. Some baby monitors have screens that allow you to peek in on your baby without ever stepping foot into the nursery. Some of these fancier monitors even use infrared technology so that you can see your baby in the screen even if the nursery is dark.
As sweet as they are, remember that babies will grow, and they will grow fast! They will be on the go and will be capable of getting into just about anything they so desire! This is an even better reason to invest in child safety latches for all of your cabinets and cupboards. This is especially important for those areas in which you store your cleaning supplies, laundry and dish detergents or any other chemical or substance that could be potentially harmful to your child. Always be certain to have extra latches on hand. As I have stated in previous child safety articles, never underestimate your child! Many a child has been injured simply because their parent did not think that their child could reach a certain area or that they would get into a certain product. Be certain that you use safety latches not only on your low and easy to reach cabinets, but also your high ones as well. Do not forget to purchase extra electrical outlet plugs as well. These plugs are simple to plug into the outlets, but very difficult for little hands to pull out! The plugs will prevent your child from sticking anything into an electrical outlet and minimize the chances that your child will receive an electrical shock.
The older children get, the more curious they get. By thoroughly childproofing your home, you can minimize the occurrence of accidents. Remember that it is your responsibility to keep your child safe. Keep in mind that no matter how much you prepare and no matter how much you childproof, accidents are still going to happen from time to time. Childproofing materials were never meant to act as substitutes for the attention and watchful eye of an intuitive parent!
For the youngest children and babies, staying in a hotel and condo often means living in a space that, unlike home, is not baby-proofed. There are typically no safety plugs on electrical outlets, gates near stairways, or bumpers on table corners. If your child is a toddler, or even just starting to move, it is a good idea to baby proof this temporary space as much as possible. Quickly try to look for choking hazards; dangling curtain, blind, or electrical cords; poisons in bathrooms or kitchen areas, or other dangers you would remove in your own home. Bring your own safety products, such as outlet plugs or toilet lid locks. Make sure children cannot access pool areas without supervision.
When venturing outdoors, busy travel destinations can pose many risks. In crowds children have the risk of becoming lost, wandering off, or even being abducted.
Busy and curious toddlers can be a handful in public places. They often don’t want the confines of a stroller or the short radius of movement from holding your hand. If your toddler refuses to be pushed in a stroller, try keeping them secure with a harness, such as the Eddie Bauer Harness Buddy. It appears like a stuffed animal-style backpack that clips around the back and chest, but with a long “tail” that a parent can hold. Other wrist-style straps are available. Many adults feel these straps appear too leash-like, but keeping a busy toddler from becoming lost in a crowd is much more important than how it might appear.
For older children, who are capable of understanding instruction, it is important to have a meet-up point if you become separated in a crowd. Always have the same meet-up point, and make sure it is an area that is well-lit at night that is not desolate.
At the earliest possible age, begin teaching stranger danger to children. Tell them never to go off with anyone they don’t know, and to be loud or make a scene if anyone would try to grab them or hurt them. Make sure not to scare your child, but be sure they are aware of possible dangers. There are books, DVDs and free online tips available that help to teach these lessons.
Many children’s travel supplies, such as luggage, beach chairs, towels, or totes, often come with the option of adding embroidered names or monograms. While cute or helpful for avoiding arguments, it is important to always avoid having your child’s name on any item that could be seen by strangers. This puts your child at greater risk. Child abductors can gain a child’s trust by acting as if they know them, using their name.
On the beach there are several issues of which to be aware. First and foremost make sure to take proper sun precautions. Babies under six months should stay out of direct sunlight, as their skin is very sensitive and sunscreen is not approved for infants this young. Always apply sunscreen to children over six months when planning to spend time outside. The beach adds to the threat of sunburn, because the reflection of sunlight off the sand and water intensifies the sun’s rays. Check with your family doctor, as it is important to choose an appropriate SPF for your activities and family. Make sure to apply 30 minutes before going out into the sun. Then be sure to reapply often, especially if swimming. The best way to avoid sunburn or skin damage is by avoiding time in the sun between 10:00am and 3:00pm. This is when the risks are greatest. Have a UV-shielding tent or beach umbrella available for children to play under. Also, cover up with clothing to prevent the effects of the sun. Cool, loose-fitting beach clothing is available for children. Check companies like One Step Ahead, who have plenty of sun safety products for babies, toddlers, and older children.
Other beach dangers can be found in the sand and water. Many parents are unaware of the dangers of digging holes in the sand. Any hole that is large enough for a child to fall into or fit in can be deadly. Collapsed sand can crush lungs or even continue to collapse, making rescuing a buried person difficult or even impossible. Don’t allow your children to dig holes or sit in holes in the sand.
Make sure to educate your child on swimming safety at the beach. It’s important for them to realize that swimming in an ocean is not like swimming in a pool. There are currents and tides, dangerous jetties and piers. The rip current is one of the most serious dangers in the water at the beach, and can cause drowning. The rip current is a flow of water under the surface that moves away from the shore. Teach your child that if they get caught in a rip current, to swim parallel to the shoreline. Let them know that trying to out-swim the rip current, moving toward shore, is not an effective way to become free from the pull of the water. Make sure to swim only when a lifeguard is on duty.
Taking a trip is a time to relax and have fun, but don’t take a vacation from your everyday awareness of safety; and also be prepared for new issues that come with being away from home.
Baby Gate Safety
Home is where the heart is, but unfortunately, home is also where the most accidents occur. From the time you bring your new baby home from the hospital, there are potential safety hazards lurking everywhere. You should start to think about childproofing your home before you ever bring your newborn home from the hospital. As your baby grows, he or she will start to craw and walk. With mobility comes more potential for harm in the home. The following products were created and designed with your baby’s safety in mind.One of the most common injuries to babies occurs when the child bumps their head against the corner of a coffee table. You can minimize this risk by purchasing Corner Guards. Corner guards easily snap onto sharp corners of coffee tables, end tables and even kitchen counters. You can also by table edge guards that are similar to the corner guards except they run the length of your table sides. Sometimes you can purchase the table edge guards and the corner guards all in one handy pack.
Fireplaces can be a very dangerous place for children. To protect little noggins against the abrasive edges, use edge guards and corner guards made specifically for fireplaces. You may also buy latches that will prevent your child from opening up the fireplace and getting into the ashes or wood shards.
Baby safety gates are an absolute must for any home. Safety gates help you partition off certain rooms or areas of your home that you do not want baby to venture into. There are several different types of child safety gates, and each serves a different purpose for different areas of the home. For instance, free standing child safety gates consist of several panels that come together to create a play area or play yard for your child, while pressure mounted gates can be used in door ways to rooms and at the base of a staircase. It is important to know the difference between the different types of child safety gates so that you will use the appropriate gate for the purpose it was intended. Gates give parents the peace of mind they need when baby becomes mobile around the sixth to eighth month.
Until your baby is monitors, you may be interested in investing in a baby monitor. Like baby gates, there are many different models of baby monitors on the market. Some are very simple and very traditional, allowing you to hear your baby should he or she cry out in the middle of the night. Other, newer and fancier models, allow you to not only hear your baby, but to transmit your soothing voice back to baby through your receiver. Some baby monitors have screens that allow you to peek in on your baby without ever stepping foot into the nursery. Some of these fancier monitors even use infrared technology so that you can see your baby in the screen even if the nursery is dark.
As sweet as they are, remember that babies will grow, and they will grow fast! They will be on the go and will be capable of getting into just about anything they so desire! This is an even better reason to invest in child safety latches for all of your cabinets and cupboards. This is especially important for those areas in which you store your cleaning supplies, laundry and dish detergents or any other chemical or substance that could be potentially harmful to your child. Always be certain to have extra latches on hand. As I have stated in previous child safety articles, never underestimate your child! Many a child has been injured simply because their parent did not think that their child could reach a certain area or that they would get into a certain product. Be certain that you use safety latches not only on your low and easy to reach cabinets, but also your high ones as well. Do not forget to purchase extra electrical outlet plugs as well. These plugs are simple to plug into the outlets, but very difficult for little hands to pull out! The plugs will prevent your child from sticking anything into an electrical outlet and minimize the chances that your child will receive an electrical shock.
The older children get, the more curious they get. By thoroughly childproofing your home, you can minimize the occurrence of accidents. Remember that it is your responsibility to keep your child safe. Keep in mind that no matter how much you prepare and no matter how much you childproof, accidents are still going to happen from time to time. Childproofing materials were never meant to act as substitutes for the attention and watchful eye of an intuitive parent!
For the youngest children and babies, staying in a hotel and condo often means living in a space that, unlike home, is not baby-proofed. There are typically no safety plugs on electrical outlets, gates near stairways, or bumpers on table corners. If your child is a toddler, or even just starting to move, it is a good idea to baby proof this temporary space as much as possible. Quickly try to look for choking hazards; dangling curtain, blind, or electrical cords; poisons in bathrooms or kitchen areas, or other dangers you would remove in your own home. Bring your own safety products, such as outlet plugs or toilet lid locks. Make sure children cannot access pool areas without supervision.
When venturing outdoors, busy travel destinations can pose many risks. In crowds children have the risk of becoming lost, wandering off, or even being abducted.
Busy and curious toddlers can be a handful in public places. They often don’t want the confines of a stroller or the short radius of movement from holding your hand. If your toddler refuses to be pushed in a stroller, try keeping them secure with a harness, such as the Eddie Bauer Harness Buddy. It appears like a stuffed animal-style backpack that clips around the back and chest, but with a long “tail” that a parent can hold. Other wrist-style straps are available. Many adults feel these straps appear too leash-like, but keeping a busy toddler from becoming lost in a crowd is much more important than how it might appear.
For older children, who are capable of understanding instruction, it is important to have a meet-up point if you become separated in a crowd. Always have the same meet-up point, and make sure it is an area that is well-lit at night that is not desolate.
At the earliest possible age, begin teaching stranger danger to children. Tell them never to go off with anyone they don’t know, and to be loud or make a scene if anyone would try to grab them or hurt them. Make sure not to scare your child, but be sure they are aware of possible dangers. There are books, DVDs and free online tips available that help to teach these lessons.
Many children’s travel supplies, such as luggage, beach chairs, towels, or totes, often come with the option of adding embroidered names or monograms. While cute or helpful for avoiding arguments, it is important to always avoid having your child’s name on any item that could be seen by strangers. This puts your child at greater risk. Child abductors can gain a child’s trust by acting as if they know them, using their name.
On the beach there are several issues of which to be aware. First and foremost make sure to take proper sun precautions. Babies under six months should stay out of direct sunlight, as their skin is very sensitive and sunscreen is not approved for infants this young. Always apply sunscreen to children over six months when planning to spend time outside. The beach adds to the threat of sunburn, because the reflection of sunlight off the sand and water intensifies the sun’s rays. Check with your family doctor, as it is important to choose an appropriate SPF for your activities and family. Make sure to apply 30 minutes before going out into the sun. Then be sure to reapply often, especially if swimming. The best way to avoid sunburn or skin damage is by avoiding time in the sun between 10:00am and 3:00pm. This is when the risks are greatest. Have a UV-shielding tent or beach umbrella available for children to play under. Also, cover up with clothing to prevent the effects of the sun. Cool, loose-fitting beach clothing is available for children. Check companies like One Step Ahead, who have plenty of sun safety products for babies, toddlers, and older children.
Other beach dangers can be found in the sand and water. Many parents are unaware of the dangers of digging holes in the sand. Any hole that is large enough for a child to fall into or fit in can be deadly. Collapsed sand can crush lungs or even continue to collapse, making rescuing a buried person difficult or even impossible. Don’t allow your children to dig holes or sit in holes in the sand.
Make sure to educate your child on swimming safety at the beach. It’s important for them to realize that swimming in an ocean is not like swimming in a pool. There are currents and tides, dangerous jetties and piers. The rip current is one of the most serious dangers in the water at the beach, and can cause drowning. The rip current is a flow of water under the surface that moves away from the shore. Teach your child that if they get caught in a rip current, to swim parallel to the shoreline. Let them know that trying to out-swim the rip current, moving toward shore, is not an effective way to become free from the pull of the water. Make sure to swim only when a lifeguard is on duty.
Taking a trip is a time to relax and have fun, but don’t take a vacation from your everyday awareness of safety; and also be prepared for new issues that come with being away from home.
