Baby Proofing Ideas?

hello to all mothers
I would like some tips on baby proofing the house.
we also have a gas heater (standing) and electric.
Any advice would be appreciated.
mary

Mary we had an oil heater when our little boy was crawling and we just bought an old wooden playpen and put the heater in it. It had no bottom and was wide enough that it wasn't a fire hazard. Of course you do need the space for it though. We now use it for his bedroom. We don't turn it on until he is in bed asleep and we turn it off and remove it from his room before he wakes up. So far so good. As for other baby proofing ideas the best advice I could give you is to get on your hands and knees and crawl around you house and fix or remove anything that might be a hazard no matter how trival. Then after your done get you somone else to do the same because there maybe something you have missed. I went to Big W and bought just about every baby safty product availible. I was told by family and friends I was mad and wouldn't need it all but we have had more peace of mind doing so. We also haven't had to take our son up to the Hospital yet with a home injury like them. TOUCH WOOD. One of the best ones I found was a guard for the stove and handles for doors to rooms that you don't want Bub in. We also put up a gate to stop him coming into the kitchen at anytime. He is now two and we have removed the gate and he tells us "there are bities in there, bubby not go in there". Best of luck I hope this has helped.

Hi Mary,
I'm not sure how old your baby is. Mine is 5½ months old and I have purchased a few things. Firstly, I heard recently on one of those lifestyle programs on TV that those column oil heaters are good for children's rooms although I find ours is still very warm to touch. If you are talking about the house in general, we have purchased a safety gate to use to block off the stairs and may invest in another to block off the kitchen/laundry area, not sure yet about that one. Target also recently had specials on their Safety1st range and other nursery stuff, so I bought drawer clips, cupboard locks, powerpoint covers, etc. Another tip is to get down to baby's level and crawl around and remove anything that is sharp or dangerous for baby to grab onto such as tablecloths, (There go my decorator tables soon) photo frames, glass objects, etc. You can also purchase plastic furniture corners to cover sharp corners on furniture. It may prevent a few gashes on the head, etc. Our last house was totally made of brick - inside and out and tiles. All those sharp edges would have been a nightmare for a baby. Thank god for carpet and gyprock walls. At least the baby will bounce to a certain degree. You can also invest in a playpen to keep baby in an enclosed area or move your furniture/lounges around so baby can't get out either. Maybe some large floor rugs (the type that won't slip) if you are concerned about the baby falling on tiles. They also warm up the house. All the usual stuff you hear about bathtime, too and now you can buy tap covers to stop them turning on the taps and scalding themselves, ducky thermometers to make sure bath water is not too hot, etc. A stack of things to stop them from hurting themselves. Probably a good idea to browse the aisles at Target/baby shops or somewhere similar and look at all the things available and then see if you could use anything in your situation. I'm definitely no expert on this, but I'm sure when the time comes and my little one is crawling around and then running around, we will be very quickly learning what to look for when he starts to get into it. There are also lots of magazine articles and books with sections on baby safety you can refer to. I don't know if any of this helps. Good luck.

Bekie & ange
thankyou very much for the tips you always do miss some thing that may be hazardous.
Angelika is just over 8 months now,and I think she might crawl any 1 of these days (or so I hope lol)
All these new gadgets its good to know tho whats good and whats not.
I'm keeping notes because I know I'll 4get something.
Thanks again

mary

hey there ok the best way is get on your neas and what ever u can get with your hands is what u nead to move it like we get down to there hight ok good luck with it all i have 3 kids lolol no i should not laugh they make me very tired at time

Hi mums,

One piece of advice i was given is that kids can only handle a couple of rules. Say no to the heaters and things that can't be put out of reach. Everything else just has to find new homes. You also need to know you can leave the room and there not be any danger.

We have a combustion fire and it was always a major concern when babies came along. Fortunately they automatically know because of the heat and it has never been a problem.

Goodluck!!