Baby Proof Your Home

by Chuck Spencer

Safety is a constant concern for all parents, especially for those parents of newborns and toddlers. These first years are of the greatest concern for parents because the children are so vulnerable. For our youngest, hazards abound in so many forms. Some hazards are more obvious than others, such as an open flame, a stairwell, a swimming pool, prescription drugs and cleaning agents. Others hazards like tooth paste, plastic bags, blind cords, coins, toilets and dresser drawers may not be as obvious, but are potentially as dangerous. As parents and guardians, we are bestowed with the awesome responsibility of protecting and educating our children from all the hazards that abound.

Today many families hire professional baby proofing services to help them identify, correct and address harmful hazards within their homes. Most of these companies concentrate on the installation of child safety products such as gates, drawer and cabinet locks, finger guards for doors, pool fencing, etc. There are so many different safety products available today it can be overwhelming. Parents often do not know where to begin or which products will meet their needs and often ask," What is the priority?" or "Am I being over protective?"

A unique service provided by Total Child Safety is their comprehensive In Home Safety Review. The process is designed to educate and inform parents, identify current and future potential hazards for their child, and recommend ways to address their safety issues. The parents are guided through an extensive room-by-room safety evaluation of their home with a professionally trained In Home Safety Consultant. Upon completion, parents are now better equipped to understand the safety issues they face and the varied ways to address them. They are better able to make an informed decision about how they wish to proceed with baby proofing their homes and evaluate which products truly meet their needs and which ones do not.

Taking preventative safety measures makes parenting more enjoyable and less stressful. When a home or room is properly secured, your interaction with your child is more participatory in nature and less reactive. You are better able to spend quality time reading books and enjoying playtime than you are constantly shadowing your toddler's every move and telling him "NO!"