It has been a long time since your baby was a swaddled bundle of joy that could not move. By now your child is probably either crawling or walking, and getting around on their own. They can climb up, roll around and reach for things. This can cause a headache for a parent trying to keep their child healthy and safe. There are a lot of precautions that will need to be taken during this very hectic time period. There are a lot of children deaths and injuries per year that could have been easily prevented. It is your job to keep your child safe.
At this age, your child will still likely be putting everything in their mouths. This is a problem, especially since now they are more mobile. You need to make sure that there are no choking hazards or toxic items on the floor that could poison your child or make them choke. It would be wise to learn how to perform CPR and the Heimlich maneuver in caseyour child does start choking on an item. You should also have the poison control phone number in an easy to access location and on speed dial in case you need it. It would be easiest to prevent, but sometimes things just happen and you need to be prepared in case something does happen.
You should also invest in safety items to keep your home safe for your child. One important item that you should have is a baby gate. This will help you limit where which rooms your child can access to help you keep a better eye on them and to help keep them out of rooms that are not safe for them. You should also use these gates to block stairs if you have any. This will prevent falls, but only as long as they are installed properly. You will also want to get outlet protectors to prevent your child from sticking their fingers or some other item in sockets, which can seriously hurt your child. You should also get cabinet locks to keep your child safe from items that could harm them, such as cleaning products. Another important safety item that you will want to have in your home issomething like straps for your television. Children are injured and even killed too often because the television was not secured and a child bumped into the television stand or even tried to climb it. There are other safety items including bumpers for your coffee table, refrigerator locks, and locks for your toilet and stove.
You need to be vigilant during this time. Your child is more mobile and they do not have a concept of what is safe or unsafe for them. This is why they need you to help protect them in any way that you can. You should listen to your pediatrician for any babyproofing suggestions that they may have because they may help you consider something that you never would have thought of. You can never be too safe when it comes to your little child.
