Baby Proofing Checklist: The Stuff You Don’t Think Of

So Aria is just about at that age where baby proofing for a mobile baby has been a front runner on our to-do list. She is currently doing this silly little army crawl that involves her tippy toes and her chin, Teehee! But with that funny move, constant rolling, a daily increasing sense of her surroundings, and continuously growing curiosity; we know it won’t be long before she is getting into everything! Hmmm maybe I can stop working out and just chase her around?

Anyhoo, aside from the normal stuff you always think of when you begin baby proofing your house, hubby and I have also been thinking about some of the other dangers around that may not be so obvious. After some research we were able to come up with a baby proofing checklist of things to consider, along with the items that can be used to prevent these dangers from occurring in our home. After chatting with some of you on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram I am sharing this list with you today! Let me know if you think of anything I may have missed! I love hearing from you all!

ITEMS YOU NEED FOR BABY PROOFING (THE STUFF YOU DO THINK OF)

CHEMICALS

Oh my word..there are SO many chemicals around house. I went around our home and took an inventory of what we have and where we have it, and I was blown away by all the potential dangers that could occur!

From laundry soap, to weed killer in the garage, to even the dish soap under the kitchen sink, there is stuff everywhere. We actually have shampoo, soaps, cleaning solutions, pesticides, perfumes and scented oils all in numerous places throughout the house! I knew it was time to get more organized with that stuff.

To keep it simple I put everything that was chemical related into three different locations throughout the house/garage and locked them up on the top shelf of a cabinet with doors. 

For anything else that I know I need on a regular basis, like dish soap – I purchased locking soap and liquid dispensers. That way I can lock them when I am not using them and keep them out of reach for the little monster. I know most household soaps and such come with locking dispensers, but I like these because they can be filled in smaller amounts and are easier to store nearby. Plus they are available in several different colors for organizational purposes! Um, Yes please!

BUGS

Depending on where you live and what part of the country your home is, there are tons of pests and even wildlife you have to keep in mind when it comes to baby proofing. This may sound extreme, but living in Nevada my husband and I have quickly learned that dangerous critters such as scorpions have to be taken very seriously! Even for adults!

If you recently moved to a new location, or you are now living in a new country all together, definitely take the time to research your area’s wildlife! Growing up in Minnesota we had to deal with mosquitos and even worse ticks! Deer ticks are so small that they can be very difficult to spot on a child. They can cause illness and even death if it gets missed and is left on a child for too long! Scorpion venom can kill a small child too, and in more rural places you have to consider bears, bob cats, and even hawks that can attack a child.

Regardless of where you live or how populated a city you may live in, I found that there are a few things that absolutely need to be done in order to protect children.

First we set up a pest control company come and spray both indoors and outdoors once seasonally. This will keep bugs such as spiders and other biting insect out and away from baby’s bed. I always take Aria out when they come and keep her from the wet chemicals until long after they have dried and absorbed.

To keep scorpions and spiders and such out, we used sealing tape on any doors that did not close tightly or that simply had any slight space that a pest could get through. Scorpions can get through a space the width of a credit card, so how small a space do you think a spider can get through?! Minuscule! With the sealing tape we know we have a snug shut door. FORT KNOX!

For outside we got a net tent that Aria and this new baby can play in especially when we go camping. It is just nice to have on hand.

I also ordered a few window locking and curtain cord protection devices to keep Aria from opening and getting out windows. This is a safety for many reasons, but where we live if a window is left open spiders and other critters could easily get into her room. I would feel horrible if she got bit up all night long!

MOLD

Mold and fungi growing in your home is NOT COOL. We do not have this issue but I wanted to add what I found for those who may have the issue. Think about your showers and bath tubs and make sure you look closely in damp places like under sinks or behind the washing machine!

Use calking in places in the bathroom or kitchen that may need to be sealed up. This will help prevent water damage and eventually mold. We picked up a caulking kit to have on hand if we ever need it. My husband has used caulk in the past to seal up gaps around piping and stuff like that.

Damprid is great for placing in damp rooms like closets and bathrooms to suck up excess moisture. You can get them and have them on hand for rainy days too!

TEMPURATURE

Having the house the perfect temperature is nearly impossible for us these days. Simply because I am pregnant, I am constantly hot, but when I am in one place for a long time then I am freezing! I used to get in trouble with my hubby because I kept changing the temperature in our house. Up and down and Up and Down Teehee! Oops…

But a baby needs the temperature to be consistent, and with a newborn on the way I know I have to keep that little baby in mind too.

When we moved into our new house we installed the NEST and we are SO glad we did. It has settings that automatically adjust the temperature at different times of day so it is warmer at night and cooler during the day. I never have to touch the thermostat and my hubby is happy because the electric bill stays consistent! This is not a necessary item to have for baby proofing but I wanted to mention it because with babies needing to be safe and not too cold or overheating (which is one of the main reasons SIDS occurs), it is just something, that for us anyway, has been a big helper!

AIR

OK. Finally air is another thing that I never would have thought about if it wasn’t for our pediatrician. The air quality is SO IMPORTANT when you have babies, and also just in general! We replace the air filters all throughout the house every couple of months. The Dr. says to buy the cheapest because they will provide the best air flow, won’t clog up the vents, and keeps costs low. They help to keep allergens and dust etc.. from getting in the air we breathe everyday! HUGE thing to think about!

Another big thing here in the desert is dry air…

It gets SO DRY here and so our Dr. recommended a cool mist humidifier to keep in Aria’s room and even in our own room to run at night. It keeps the air moisturized and keeps her from getting congested, dried up, and able to breath easy. This was a big deal when she was first born too, but to this day if I forget to put it on I notice she will wake up a little bit stuffy! Regardless of where you live, though, a cool mist humidifier should be at the top of your list for your baby. If you don’t buy anything else, I suggest you buy this!

Finally another reason SIDS has been a scare across the globe is because there isn’t always good air flow in a babies room. When we were designing Aria’s nursery before she was born I actually asked to have her ceiling fan removed and a chandelier put up in it’s place. Had I known how important air circulation was and that we would need a fan in her room anyway I may not have done that!

OK! That is what I found that are all things I may have never thought about if I did not look into it a little closer. And now I know my house is safe for a roaming toddler! One thing I did not mention but that we may have to get for sure though is some new sneakers for me so I can keep up with her!

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