The holidays are a time of joy, laughter, and family. As grandparents, nothing brings more joy than having the little ones around, but with their curious minds and boundless energy, it’s crucial to ensure a safe environment for their exploration. Baby-proofing your home during the holiday season is a thoughful and kind gesture that will ensure a happy, healthy, and safe celebration for the whole family.
Here’s a comprehensive guide to help you navigate babyproofing for the holidays while keeping the magic alive.
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- Deck the Halls with Safety in Mind
- Lights and Cords
- Safer Cooking
- Create a Safe Space
- Bathroom Safety Precautions
- Stay Vigilant and Communicate
- Utilize Your Community
- Conclusion
Deck the Halls with Safety in Mind
For many families, the holiday season begins with decorating a Christmas tree.
However, many holiday decorations are very baby unfriendly. Here are some rules to follow when decorating your tree to keep your home festive and safe.
- Securely anchor your Christmas tree to prevent tipping.
- Use non-breakable ornaments.
- Place fragile and sentimental ornaments high up on the tree, out of your little one’s reach.
- Avoid using small ornaments that could pose a choking hazard.
Lights and Cords
Twinkly lights and long cords are irresistible to curious little fingers. Our little guy can’t keep his hands off the sparkly lights in our living room! Here’s what we’ve learned about keeping him safe, while keeping the mood festive.
- Keep cords out of reach, whenever possible.
- Use cord protectors to cover extension cords and outlets.
- Use battery-operated candles instead of open flames whenever possible, eliminating fire and burn hazards.
- Use outlet covers on open outlets.
Watch the baby once they’ve arrived at your house – our little one tends to find forgotten outlets, cords we though safely out of reach, and any number of new dangers. Be ready to rearrange furniture for their stay to set up a safe space.
Safer Cooking
Holiday food means holiday cooking. My family, including the babies, spends most of their time in the kitchen over the holidays. These are our tips and tricks for keeping the kitchen safe for everyone.
- Follow basic kitchen safety rules –
- Keep pot and pan handles turned inward (towards the wall)
- Use back burners and stove guards to prevent accidental burns
- Store sharp utensils and cleaning products out of reach.
- If your stove has knobs on the front, attach these knob covers to prevent gas poisoning or fire.
- Communicate when moving hot dishes and make sure someone has eyes (or hands) on the baby.
- Pay special attention when opening the refrigerator or dishwasher – these gadgets are irresistable to tiny explorers!
Keep a drawer near the bottom full of plastic tupperware containers. This gives your littlest ones something to take out and put in, safely.
Create a Safe Space
Safe spaces aren’t only for college campuses – babies need them too! Designate an area that is safe for play. We tend to create a safe space in the living room/kitchen/dining room area of my parents house, and the hallway/livingroom of my mother-in-laws home.
Here are some things to keep in mind when creating a safe space for the youngest members of your family:
- Anchor furniture like bookshelves and dressers to the wall to prevent tipping.
- Cover exposed brick (like a fireplace) with a thick blanket to minimize the risk of a concussion.
- Don’t leave hot or alcoholic beverages on low surfaces – little fingers can and will grab and tip over anything within reach.
- Block off your safe space with baby gates to create an enclosed area.
- Move breakable decorations (like picture frames, ceramics, glasses, and cuckoo clocks) out of reach.
Bathroom Safety Precautions
Bathrooms are some of the most fascinating rooms for my little adventurer. He can’t resist fishing in the toilet, unraveling the toilet paper, and unpacking all the cabinets. Sadly for him, bathrooms and kitchens are the two most dangerous rooms in any home.
- Keep bathroom doors closed.
- This is by far, the easiest method. Bathrooms aren’t safe or social rooms – so keep babies out (unless they’re supervised by a responsible adult.)
- Install locks on cabinets and toilets. Even the best protected baby can still escape into a forbidden room – and grab whatever they can reach.
- Store medication, toiletries, and cleaning products in out-of-reach or locked cabinets.
Stay Vigilant and Communicate
Even with all the preparation in the world, supervision is key. Keep a watchful eye on little ones and make sure everyone in the family knows who is responsible for the baby.
Years ago, I read a story about a one-year-old who drowned while at a family barbeque. She was mere yards away from over 21 adults, but no one was paying attention to the children – they all assumed someone else was keeping an eye on them.
After reading that story, my family and I devised a rule. We make sure to make one person responsible for the baby at all times. If the responsible person leaves the room, they have to choose and tell the next responsible adult.
Utilize Your Community
My parents keep a “stash” of baby items in my old bedroom. This includes a crib, high chair, and more toys than our baby could ever use.
Here’s our suggested baby stash to prepare your home for the next generation.
My mom built her stash by utilising different Facebook communities. She inputs the search term “_local community_ buy and sell” or “_local community_ freecycle,” or “_town name_ Mom’s group” and joins the Facebook community. Then, she asked to borrow baby furniture before we arrived. She’s borrowed High Chairs, Pack N’ Plays, and all kinds of baby toys through Facebook.
Conclusion
Remember, creating a safe environment for your whole family doesn’t mean compromising on holiday cheer. With careful planning and these babyproofing tips, you can enjoy the festivities while ensuring a safe haven for your beloved grandchildren.
Reach out to your community and ask to borrow or purchase gently used baby or toddler safety equipment, keeping your family safe without taking up tons of space (or spending tons of money!)
Here’s to a joyful and worry-free holiday season for the whole family!
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