Baby in the house - need FAST help please

I've offered to watch a lil guy once a week to help his mama out, and she just called to see about bringing him over TOMORROW!!!

* We never replaced our safety outlets, so we're fine there.
* Any "dangerous" cabinet stuff is well over MY head.
* and I don't have heaps of breakable "stuff" on display.

My husband is checking the secondhand store this evening for a gate so the kids rooms & small bathroom won't be accessible to him, because there's no possible way they'd be "safe" with all the legos, littlest pet shop & other toys that even when put away are in open baskets easily within toddler-level. Not to mention things like DS's chemistry stuff, glass slides & electronics components... If worst comes to worst, we'll just shut the doors on their rooms though.

But I DO have the tree up still, and things like a ceramic pot full of walking sticks by the front door that could be knocked over. And the bookshelves are anchored to the wall, but there are a bazillion super heavy books that could be pulled over. And our shoes are on a skinny shelf by the door & just sitting out in the open........

I'm afraid it's been awhile, and I'm a little rusty on babyproofing. The lil guy is 9 months old, and just entering the "cruising" stage. Please mamas, I know someone here's got to know where a list is or have suggestions! What do I NEED to do to be ready for tomorrow?
love,
mom

 

If possible secure a specific area with gates. Then you don't need to worry about your kitchen, bathroom, bedroom, etc. Be sure all areas where baby might want to put his mouth on (teething) or hands on is clean and sanitized. Wall plugs are definitely a necessity. Anything that you don't want broke or messed up, put in a place the baby can't get to. Is baby staying overnight? Also, be sure to ask the parents about any specific advice or concerns they may want you to watch out for with their child. Other than that, you should do fine! Good luck and have fun! My littlest one just turned 3 today. I miss her tininess.

 

Get down on the floor and crawl around on your hands and knees. You'll see a lot more things that could be a problem when you are looking for them at his level.

The most important thing is to not take your eyes off him for a second. Babies are so fast and can reach things you would never imagine they could.

Good Luck,
Kathi

 

Thanks I did the on-my-knees thing, and found a shelf that I hadn't even thought of full of rocks & seashells & stuff in the dining room. (WHOOPS!) My son begged me to put it up in his room, so we just moved it permanently.

My husband found a NICE gate at the secondhand store for $10 so the kids' rooms are safe now. It also blocks off the bathroom, so we won't have any toilet fun either. Other than that, it looks like we'll be okay. I work with babies & toddlers all the time... just not in my own home, and I'd forgotten how to go about checking that a room was "baby-safe."

Would it be a good idea to hike my floor-length curtains up & out of the way for the day do ya think? That's the ONLY other thing that I can think of that might cause a problem.
love,
mom

 

Couldn't hurt to tie up the curtains. Also make sure that cords for the curtains or blinds are well out of reach. These can cause serious problems. It's funny how quickly you forget all this stuff as your child grows older. My son is five now and I had to really think to remember what is most important. Fortunately I have a one year old granddaughter.

Kathi

 

Yep, I DID remember cords - but luckily we don't have any. Our curtains just slide. I looped 'em up around the pole, just in case. Lil guy is out cold snuggled up on DH's chest right now. Just TOO cute for words

Thanks so much
love,
mom