L can crawl!

My daughter can crawl! Belly off the floor, moving her hands and knees, certified crawling. She is growing so fast and it just makes me so proud every time she reaches a new milestone. In honor of this achievement, I'm posting a few safety tips for crawling babies.

Crawler Safety Tips

Never leave your baby unattended.

Keep all electrical cords out of reach. Baby can will pull cords and can be hurt when lamps, radios, etc. fall on them.

Shield all electrical outlets with safety plugs that screw on. The kind that are inserted can be pulled out and become a choking hazard.

Never leave anything on the ground that can potentially harm your baby. Any small item can be a choking hazard.

Install safety gates on every set of stairs. The safest kind are the ones that screw into your wall. Gates that use pressure are not safe or secure.

Get down on all fours and crawl around your house. Map out potential hazards. Notice things that are colorful or unusual and put them away, as they will be enticing to a small child. Anything that can fit through a toilet paper roll should be considered a choking hazard.

Be sure heavy bookcases are bolted to the wall.

Cordon off any areas that are off-limits, such as a home office, with a baby gate.

Remove sharp items from floor-level cupboards.

Tie up curtains and blind cords out of reach.

Be sure there are catches and locks on the windows in your home.

Avoid hanging tablecloths.

Turn pot handles to the back of the stove and install a stove guard.

Secure all area rugs with a rug pad or doublestick tape so babies don't trip.

Avoid using bug sprays, carpet cleaners or air fresheners where babies spend a lot of time.

Consider buying doorknob covers, which can be squeezed open only by an adult hand.

Replace extension cords with ones that having locking plate covers or talk to an electrician about adding more wall outlets.

Ensure nightlights are not at floor level so as not to attract your baby to the electrical outlet.

Keep plastic bags out of reach. Tie a knot into each plastic bag before you throw it away.

Install railing guards of mesh or plastic for all railings that are 3 inches apart or more.

Add padding to the sharp corners of tables, desks, fireplaces, etc.

Follow these rules and keep your baby safe! If I missed anything please feel free to leave it in the comments section at www.lilgreenbabyblog.blogspot.com!