Posts Tagged ‘Need’

Ten Things You Need to Child-Proof Your Home

Did you know that you can childproof your home for a fraction of what it would cost to have a professional do it? Child safety devices are available at hardware stores, baby equipment shops, supermarkets, drug stores, home and linen stores, and through mail order catalogues.

Here are 10 child safety devices you need to help prevent injuries to young children.

1. Safety latches and locks – use on cabinets and drawers to help prevent children from gaining access to medicines and household cleaners, as well as knives and other sharp objects.

Look for safety latches and locks that adults can easily install and use, but that are sturdy enough to withstand pulls and tugs from children. Safety latches are not a guarantee of protection, but they can make it more difficult for children to reach dangerous substances. Even products with child-resistant packaging should be locked away, out of reach. A safety latch or lock usually costs less than $2.00

2. Safety gates – use to help prevent falls down stairs and keep children away from dangerous areas. Look for safety gates that children can’t easily dislodge, but that adults can open and close without difficulty. For the top of stairs, gates that screw to the wall are more secure than pressure gates.

New safety gates that meet safety standards display a certification seal from the Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association (JPMA). If you have an older safety gate, be sure it doesn’t have “V” shapes that are large enough for a child’s head and neck to fit into. A safety gate will cost from $13.00 to $40.00

3. Doorknob covers and door locks – use to help keep children away from places with hazards, including swimming pools. Be sure the doorknob cover is sturdy enough not to break, but allows a door to be opened quickly by an adult in case of emergency.

By restricting access to potentially hazardous rooms in the home, doorknob covers could help prevent many kinds of injuries. To prevent access to swimming pools, door locks should be placed high out of reach of young children. Locks should be used in addition to fences and door alarms. Sliding glass doors, with locks that must be re-secured after each use, are often not an effective barrier to pools. A doorknob cover usually costs about $1.00 and a door lock usually costs $5.00 and up.

4. Anti-scald devices – use for faucets and shower heads and set your water heater temperature to 120 degrees Fahrenheit to help prevent burns from hot water. An anti-scald device will cost from $6.00 to $30.00

5. Smoke detectors – use on every level of your home and near bedrooms to alert you to fires. Smoke detectors are essential safety devices for protection against fire deaths and injuries.

Check smoke detectors once a month to make sure they’re working. If detectors are battery-operated, change batteries at least once a year or consider using 10-year batteries. A smoke detector usually costs less than $10.00.

6. Window guards and safety netting – use to help prevent falls from windows, balconies, decks, and landings. Check these safety devices frequently to make sure they are secure and properly installed and maintained. There should be no more than four inches between the bars of the window guard.

If you have window guards, be sure at least one window in each room can be easily used for escape in a fire. Window screens are not effective for preventing children from falling out of windows. A window guard or safety netting usually costs from $8.00 to $16.00.

7. Corner and edge bumpers – use to help prevent injuries from falls against sharp edges of furniture and fireplaces. Be sure to look for bumpers that stay securely on furniture or hearth edges. A corner and edge bumper usually costs $1.00 and up.

8. Outlet covers and outlet plates – use to help protect children from electrical shock and possible electrocution. Be sure the outlet protectors cannot be easily removed by children and are large enough so that children cannot choke on them. An outlet cover usually costs less than $2.00.

9. Carbon monoxide (CO) detector – use outside bedrooms to help prevent CO poisoning. Install CO detectors near sleeping areas in your home. A carbon monoxide (CO) detector usually costs from $30.00 to $70.00.

10. Cordless phone – use to make it easier to continuously watch young children, especially when they’re in bathtubs, swimming pools, or other potentially dangerous areas. A cordless phone costs $30.00 and up.

You don’t need to spend a lot of money to childproof your home. But you do need to do it now.

What You Need to Know about having a Healthy, Happy Baby

During pregnancy, expecting parents are asked a lot of questions – do you want a boy or a girl? What color eyes do you hope she has? Do you think he’ll have dimples? These are all reasonable questions, but what’s important to most parents? The two arms and two legs. It’s just the soon-to-be parents way of saying, “A healthy baby is all we really need”.” While pregnant or bringing home a new baby, the health of the baby does weigh heavily on parents’ minds. The good news is that a few simple, easy tips can help ensure your baby continues to grow healthy and happy. The baby’s journey to a healthy life first begins in the uterus. Obstetricians recommend that a mother be healthy – meaning she is in general good health, is able to manage any ongoing or chronic health issues, and has stopped any dependency on tobacco and alcohol – before coming pregnant. A healthy mothers whose body is capable of nurturing and caring for the baby’s in-utero development provides the basis of making a healthy baby. After you’ve had a successful delivery, your child is now exposed to the concerns of his new world. Second, not every pediatrician is the same so be sure to find a doctor that offers a similar view of parenting as you. Most pediatricians visit a new baby within 24 hours of birth. During this initial period, it’s typical for the doctor to perform a general check-up and may even provide initial vaccinations. Your relationship with your pediatrician will be crucial to ensuring you have a healthy baby. Be sure to schedule and keep each of your baby’s “well visits” with your pediatrician, typically about 8 times in the first year. To make sure your baby’s growth is steady and within normal growth expectations, during these well visits, the doctor will check your baby’s weight, height, and head circumference. The physician will also perform a general physical, provide scheduled vaccinations, and answer any questions you may have. Although these wellness visits are routinely scheduled, don’t overlook the importance of each visit – these visits are fundamental in the pediatrician’s relationship building with your child and helps the pediatrician identify potential issues as early as possible. The purpose of these well visits is preventive care, the key to assure baby’s best health. One way to ensure you are raising a healthy baby is to have a happy baby.Though many people have often considered a “mother’s intuition” to be mythical, there is a lot of truth as to how well a mother understands her child: trust your instincts. You know your child best, and you know what is best for your family. Regardless of your choice of bottle or breastfeeding, your child will be healthy as long as he is eating and you are providing the doctor-recommended amount of food. Whether your baby wears one-size cloth diapers or fitted, as long as they’re regularly changed, dry, and free from diaper rash, your baby will be happy. Child health and safety are the utmost important responsibilities you will have as a parent – make sure your child is in a safe, nurturing home where his needs are met and the risks are removed. By child-proofing your home, your taking the necessary steps to ensure that common dangers are removed from you home. Some examples of things that need to be done are checking to be sure your child’s crib mattress fits into the crib snugly, you’re not leaving any pillows or blankets in the crib with your child, make sure you have safety gates installed to block stairs or hazardous areas and set your hot water heater to below 120 degrees Fahrenheit. Baby proofing is critical to guaranteeing your child comes to no physical harm, and most pediatricians are happy to supply a full list of everything you need to do to ensure your home is safe. Although there are always a lot of new worries that come along with being a new parent, there are a few fundamental suggestions that can get your child off to a happy, healthy and safe life. Through proper nutrition and care while developing in the uterus, fostering a good relationship with your baby’s doctor, and establishing a positive environment of good health and happiness will put your infant on the path of a long, healthy life. And if he gets his mother’s eyes and his father’s freckles, that’s just icing on the cake.

During pregnancy, expecting parents are asked a lot of questions – do you want a boy or a girl? What color eyes do you hope she has? Do you think he’ll have dimples? These are all reasonable questions, but what’s important to most parents? The two arms and two legs. It’s just the soon-to-be parents way of saying, “A healthy baby is all we really need”.”

While pregnant or bringing home a new baby, the health of the baby does weigh heavily on parents’ minds. The good news is that a few simple, easy tips can help ensure your baby continues to grow healthy and happy.

The baby’s journey to a healthy life first begins in the uterus. Obstetricians recommend that a mother be healthy – meaning she is in general good health, is able to manage any ongoing or chronic health issues, and has stopped any dependency on tobacco and alcohol – before coming pregnant. A healthy mothers whose body is capable of nurturing and caring for the baby’s in-utero development provides the basis of making a healthy baby.

After you’ve had a successful delivery, your child is now exposed to the concerns of his new world. Second, not every pediatrician is the same so be sure to find a doctor that offers a similar view of parenting as you. Most pediatricians visit a new baby within 24 hours of birth. During this initial period, it’s typical for the doctor to perform a general check-up and may even provide initial vaccinations. Your relationship with your pediatrician will be crucial to ensuring you have a healthy baby. Be sure to schedule and keep each of your baby’s “well visits” with your pediatrician, typically about 8 times in the first year. To make sure your baby’s growth is steady and within normal growth expectations, during these well visits, the doctor will check your baby’s weight, height, and head circumference. The physician will also perform a general physical, provide scheduled vaccinations, and answer any questions you may have. Although these wellness visits are routinely scheduled, don’t overlook the importance of each visit – these visits are fundamental in the pediatrician’s relationship building with your child and helps the pediatrician identify potential issues as early as possible. The purpose of these well visits is preventive care, the key to assure baby’s best health.

One way to ensure you are raising a healthy baby is to have a happy baby.Though many people have often considered a “mother’s intuition” to be mythical, there is a lot of truth as to how well a mother understands her child: trust your instincts. You know your child best, and you know what is best for your family. Regardless of your choice of bottle or breastfeeding, your child will be healthy as long as he is eating and you are providing the doctor-recommended amount of food. Whether your baby wears one-size cloth diapers or fitted, as long as they’re regularly changed, dry, and free from diaper rash, your baby will be happy.

Child health and safety are the utmost important responsibilities you will have as a parent – make sure your child is in a safe, nurturing home where his needs are met and the risks are removed. By child-proofing your home, your taking the necessary steps to ensure that common dangers are removed from you home. Some examples of things that need to be done are checking to be sure your child’s crib mattress fits into the crib snugly, you’re not leaving any pillows or blankets in the crib with your child, make sure you have safety gates installed to block stairs or hazardous areas and set your hot water heater to below 120 degrees Fahrenheit. Baby proofing is critical to guaranteeing your child comes to no physical harm, and most pediatricians are happy to supply a full list of everything you need to do to ensure your home is safe.

Although there are always a lot of new worries that come along with being a new parent, there are a few fundamental suggestions that can get your child off to a happy, healthy and safe life. Through proper nutrition and care while developing in the uterus, fostering a good relationship with your baby’s doctor, and establishing a positive environment of good health and happiness will put your infant on the path of a long, healthy life. And if he gets his mother’s eyes and his father’s freckles, that’s just icing on the cake.

What Age Typically Do You Not Need Baby Gates For Stairs?

I’m just wondering. We’ll be using them for awhile longer since our son is only 13.5 months old…but I was wondering at what age do you not need them?
I mean last week my husband slipped and fell down the top part of our steps…and they are carpeted lol Only his pride was hurt btw.
So what is a good age?

Do I Need An Extra Wide Baby Gate?

As a parent, you probably know that a baby gate can offer you great peace of mind. You know that your baby is protected from dangerous areas like stairs and other areas of your home. But, if you live in a large or open house, you may need an extra wide baby gate to secure your peace of mind.

An extra wide baby gate can offer flexibility that a normal gate can not. While many normal sized child safety gates are made to fit in between doorways, ones that are designed wider are often made to secure a larger open area. They can look just like a very secure (but short) outside fence or they can resemble more traditional safety gates.

If you are looking for a gate such as this, you need to consider exactly what it will be used for before you buy. If you will be securing a large doorway or entrance, you might want to look for a normal baby gate that includes extensions. The Kidco ‘Elongate’ model G60 would be the perfect one for you. It offers the same design as traditional models, but can extend between walls or door frames up to 60 inches. With extensions it will stretch safely up to 13 feet!

If you are looking to secure an area that is irregular in shape, you may need a special extra wide model. The Kidco ‘ConfigureGate’ model G80 would be a great fit for your needs. The ‘ConfigureGate’ is a secure gate system that can be set to fit almost any situation. Three 24 inch gates make up the system and each gate can be placed at any angle that you need. This kind of extra wide baby gate can be formed to fit around a stairway in a home’s entrance, or any other awkwardly shaped area.

An extra wide baby gate is a must have for parents that need to secure a large area for their child. There are many brands out there to choose from. Just remember to never sacrifice quality for a lower price.