The nine months before your baby is born involve more than just picking names and paint colors. You also have to ensure your home and vehicle are safe spaces for your child as they grow and become familiar with the world around them.
Although your baby won’t be mobile for several months, it’s best to get much of your baby-proofing handled ahead of time while you still have enough time and energy. Start your baby-proofing with some of these tips!
Checklist: Baby-Proofing 101
● Secure all wall-adjacent furniture, including shelves, cabinets, entertainment centers, dressers, and TVs to the walls using brackets. Once mobile, babies will use pieces of furniture to pull themselves up onto their feet. Unfortunately, unsecured furniture poses a risk of tipping over on top of your child. According to Nationwide Children’s, these types of accidents resulted in 11,521 children visiting the emergency room in 2019—or one every 46 minutes.
● Once your baby has started crawling, you’ll have a hard time keeping them in one place. You may want to consider installing baby gates to keep your child secluded to a safe area to prevent them from going anywhere they shouldn’t be.
● As adults we are pretty accustomed to the presence of electrical outlets, but to a baby an outlet is full of mystery. The first thing your child may try to do is stick their finger in it or eat it. A cheap and simple outlet cover may save you an emergency room visit down the road.
● Wire management is not only aesthetically pleasing, but it’s also extremely helpful to you and your children's safety. Loose wires can be an added hazard that can endanger your child and lead to fallen and broken devices. Grab some cable ties or velcro at your local hardware store to bundle your wires and cables and get yourself organized.
● Even as adults, we get our hands, hair, and fingers caught in doors. This is much more likely to happen to a baby. A simple door pinch guard can help prevent these situations.
● Consider installing a home security system for your peace of mind and to keep you and your family safe.
● One thing you might not consider before bringing your baby home is making sure your vehicle is ready and reliable. Scheduling an appointment with your local mechanic to have your vehicle inspected and any required maintenance completed will help ensure you and your baby have a safe trip home.
● Don’t wait until D-Day to have your car seat installed! Plan to do this a month or so in advance and have it checked by a professional for your baby’s safety.
● Review the coverage on your home and auto policies to be sure you have sufficient coverage when you need that extra sense of protection. Having a simple conversation with your agent could make all the difference in case of an accident, weather event, or emergency.
When it comes to growing your family, we know the importance of preparing ahead of time. Use this list to get started and contact an NYCM Insurance agent today to learn more about what you can do to protect your family!
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