BY VANESSA BURKA, FW Writer

Some call it the happiest moment in their life and
others regard it as gift. Though having a baby
comes with all sorts of fun, the transition from
non-parent to parent is often a stressful one. On
top of all the excitement, lay important decisions.
Responsibilities change overnight and before you
know it, a whole new world at floor level is about
to be inspected.

Before having any kids, you probably
considered your home to be rather safe, but add a
kid or two to the equation, and suddenly even the
safest of homes becomes a danger zone.
Keith Justice, General Manager Safety
Superstore in Oakville, Ontario, says that a
parent should start looking into baby proofing
the home well in advance before the child is born.

“We recommend that new mothers and
fathers come in well in advance of the birth of
the child,” says Justice. “A big problem is that
there tends to be an overload of information that
they need to address and this can become a little
overwhelming.”

Times have changed and products have
urbanized. For even an experienced parent, its
mind boggling how much household checking
needs to be done throughout the first few years of
the child’s life.

Below is a mélange of the obvious and the
not-so-obvious baby proofing checks for the
home:
Outlets
Outlets can be dangers places for curious little
fingers. As oppose to the normal outlet plugs,
companies have come out with new protectors
designed with a sliding outlet door. The door
automatically slides closed when not in use.
These new outlet covers are specially engineered
to reduce the risk of accidental electrical shock.
Foam Edge Bumpers
Chances are you never thought about how
dangerous your coffee table was until you saw
your baby almost collide with one of its sharp
corners. Fortunately, corner guards provide a
simple way to stop this dangerous problem. The
soft padding acts as a cushion against a babies
tumble and helps protect from injury.

Cupboard Locks
Because most cupboards are at eye-level with
babies, keeping them inaccessible is the smart
idea. Magnetic locking devices are now available
to use for cabinets or drawers, prohibiting access
to toxic cleaning supplies or other dangerous
household items.

Window Locks
To avoid a baby from pushing open a window,
these locks prevent them from fully opening.

Safety Gates
Safety gates can be fitted across the entranceway
to a room or a staircase. Portable travel gates
are also available and can be very useful when
visiting friends and family.

Stove Guards
When working around the kitchen, it’s smart
to ensure that there’s a dependable safeguard
between your child’s fingers and the hot stove.
The durable shield helps protect tots from
reaching hot burners, pots and pans handles and
utensils placed on the stove top.

Foam Tiles
While learning to walk and crawl, babies are
often bound to tumble, slip or fall. To keep them
from injury, foam tiles have been designed made
of cushiony density, non-toxic and water proof
foam.
Cord Shortener
Your little one may take an interest in the cords
running along the walls in your house; therefore
a cord shortener would be of good use, as they
help to protect children from playing with or
tripping over excess electrical cord.
Blind or curtain cords can be dangerous
around a baby, so it is important to ensure that
they are tied up and kept away from reach.
There are now a plethora of products on
the market to consider when baby proofing your
home. Although, the safety suggestions listen
above are only a handful of the many precautions
to take out there, it is important to do your
research so you can provide a safe home for your
child.

Baby proofing is never a substitute for adult
supervision. It’s all to be used in conjunction
[with] adult supervision,” says Justice. “It is just
to help make adults lives a little bit easier and
comfortable.”