Babies and toddlers somehow always find a way to get into everything you don’t want their little hands in. And just when you think that you have thought of everything, they get into something that you never realized they could even reach. You turn your head and they are seemingly sprinkled with fairy dust that gives them the power to derive a master plan to get into anything dangerous. We know you can relate!
We have all been there as busy parents and had that “oh no!” moment. You are not alone in this!
Tips For Baby-proofing Your Home During the Holidays
As we approach the holiday season, we want to make sure that everything is on your radar since there is even more for little ones to get into!
Think about it: decorations hanging low on a Christmas tree, Halloween twinkling lights that can be tugged on, scissors left out when mom or dad has been wrapping gifts - the opportunities for emergency room visits are plentiful. We don’t want you to stress mom and dad! These 5 tips for baby-proofing your home during these holidays will help keep your little ones safe and enjoying the holiday season!
Make sure that all steps and doors are appropriately blocked.
Kids are extra joyful and excited during the holiday season! How could they not? It's an exciting time of year! Because of this, make sure that you have good gates that actually lock properly - falls are a concern, especially during the busy holiday season. In addition, we tend to dress up our little ones more during this time of year, so making sure they are wearing shoes that fit properly, allow them to walk without tripping, and are tied and secured is important, too.
Lock up detergents, soaps, and anything that might look like candy.
Both Christmas and Halloween have a lot of sweets involved and kids grow accustomed to reaching for candy during this time of year. For little ones, it is easy to get confused between items that are candy and items that might look like candy. Be mindful of this as parents and make sure that all of your cleaning products, detergents, soaps, or anything else that looks like a child could mistake for candy is locked away.
Button batteries need to be out of reach.
One of the biggest concerns that Dr. Goudy has shared over and over again on TikTok is to be extremely cautious of button batteries. Just like some of the household cleaners mentioned above, button batteries can look like candy, but has very harmful effects on a child’s body if swallowed. As parents, be on alert if the holiday season means visiting with a relative that has a hearing aid and make sure they know to keep it out of reach of children at all times.
Make sure pets are baby friendly.
Dr. Goudy says that particularly around Christmas time, there are a lot of pet-related injuries that are reported in the emergency room. This can happen because we are visiting new homes, or people are staying in homes where pets aren’t used to children being on their level and inquisitive. If you know that you will be staying with a friend or relative that has a pet, make sure they are baby friendly.
Check out Dr. Goudy’s latest video about baby-proofing:
Looking for more doctor tips? You’ll love these:
We hope we have provided you with some great suggestions today for baby-proofing your home for this upcoming holiday season and every day!
The Nozebot is a battery-powered suction device designed to clear nasal congestion in babies and children.
