Childproofing - part 1

I've been doing a little research on child proofing the house. Since our little Munchie is mobile and into EVERYTHING!, I figured it was about time to do a little safety-research and get some things put in around the house - gates, locks, outlet covers, etc.

Gates - I figure this is one of the biggest things we need right now. We have one long set of stairs and I'd hate for her to follow the puppy right off the edge of the top step. It'd be a loooong way down. Hubs doesn't want to drill holes into the walls though, so I've been trying to look at all the options. There are some netting-style gates that retract back into themselves. The benefit of this is that you don't have the bulk of a regular gate being in the way all the time. The issue I don't like about it is that then you teach the kids to lean into the netting... I can just see the screen doors being tormented in the future.

Door locks - specifically for the kitchen cabinets. I really love the magnet ones! Need to look for a sale. :)

Outlet covers - we were given a set of the little plastic pieces that you fit into the outlet holes. I've read though that these can be dangerous, esp for a crafty little mind like Munch has. Kids supposedly can pull them off and the plastic pieces can break, posing a choking risk. So... what to do! I need to ask Hubs about replacing the outlet covers with those ones that slide open and closed.

Then there are all the other safety things you don't really think about. Here are some of them:

Dishwashers - Parents Magazine listed dishwashers as a danger for young kids. Why? Well, because they give kids easy access to sharp forks and knives. And the detergent can be extremely harmful to baby's skin.
So what do you do? Use SHAKLEE!! It's natural, safe, and effective!
We honestly don't run the dishwasher too often. I find it easier to just wash the dishes as they go into the sink. But for the instance that we do load up the dishwasher, I have the Shaklee Dish Washer Automatic concentrate and I love it! I also use the Dish Wash Concentrate and I will never use anything else to wash my dishes, grimy hands, etc again! It is one of my favorite Shaklee products EVER!

One of my favorite products EVER!

Kitchen Ranges - Parents Magazine says that improperly installed ranges may tip or fall forward, causing a pan of boiling water to fall on top of your toddler. Personally, I think we overdo it on the anti-tip brackets. I mean, I know that Munchi will keep me on my toes, but she needs to learn that she can't be climbing on things. But we'll see how that goes. Lol. :P
We can take this warning as a reminder to keep pot and pan handles pointed in rather than out for little hands to reach up and grab. We can check the heat of the oven door to make sure they can't get burned if they accidentally lean on the door while something is baking in the oven.

Hand-Me-Downs - always always a good idea to check and double check used gear, clothing, toys, and furniture! You never know if the straps are torn, cords are exposed, stuffing is coming out, seams are tearing, or things are broken or cracked. Also, old items might be painted with the dreaded-poisonous lead-based paints! (I say this partially serious and partially sarcastic... we all grew up with that nasty stuff and we turned out alright... right?)

Other household things - we all love our stuff. We love our tools, electronics, phones, toys, magazines, makeup, plants, etc etc. There are so many things that we adults use that we don't think might be a danger to our little ones. It's funny to think of getting down and crawling around on the floor to look for potentially dangerous gaps, cracks, and items, but it is extremely important to do so. Esp for parents of active, curious, into-everything little ones like Munch!

So here's to baby proofing - smartly, consciously, and not overdoing it with all the unneeded extras. :)