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Is your home
babyfriendly?
As your child quickly progresses from rolling
to crawling and walking, a whole host of hazards present
themselves in the form of everyday household items
Long before your little one is on the move,
carry out a risk assessment. The progress
from rolling to crawling across the room is
fast, so be prepared. The best way to do this
is to get a child’s eye view of your home by
getting down to their level – you’ll be amazed
at what you’ll notice as a ‘child’ that passes
you by as a grown up.
making it more desirable, I left the saucepans,
plastic containers and his melamine plates
and bowls in a low cupboard so that he could
still play with something, without the risk of
injury or breakages.”
Hidden dangers
Check the stability of low coffee tables, chests
and cabinets too – these are the things your baby
will undoubtedly make a lunge for when trying to
pull themselves up.
Pay careful attention also to your pet’s feeding
bowl, plug-in air fresheners, doorstops and
other such items which can often be overlooked.
While they don’t outright seem dangerous, it is
inevitable that your crawling baby will make it
her new favourite toy.
“I used rubber bands on my kitchen and
bathroom cupboards, as the normal latches
didn’t fit,” says Joanna, mom to one-year-old
Cian. “Rather than saying no all the time and
Heated appliances like kettles and irons are
an obvious danger – but what about other ‘hot’
electricals like hair straighteners, tongs and
dryers that often get set down to cool?
nurture from eumom.ie