8 Ways to Make Your House More ‘Crawling-Phase Friendly’

Don’t look now but little Susie has her hand in the dog food! Sound familiar? Maybe not, but it could if you don’t baby proof your home well before little Susie figures out how to crawl, as she inevitably will somewhere around 4-6 months depending on which expert you ask. Once the crawling begins it’s game on! Do yourself a favor, do not wait until the crawling begins to baby proof the house, do it as early as possible because children all learn differently, some learn faster, and some learn slower. Your baby could learn to crawl around eight months but can learn as early as four to six months. Normally babies learn to crawl right after they learn to turn themselves over on their own.

But don’t panic, just yet. By baby proofing your house as early as possible, you will feel better when little Susie decides the dog dish will be her destination, but then she finds there is a baby gate up and it’s not going to happen. The following eight ways will help you prepare your home for that crawling phase before it hits, and you’ll be glad you did.

Insert Plastic Outlet Plugs 

 

Any parent knows what those plastic plugs for wall outlets look like, and they aren’t that expensive to buy. They should be in every wall socket that can be reached by chubby little fingers that are curious. “Mom and Dad put stuff in here, so I wanna try…” Not going to happen there Susie Q.

Vacuum and Clean Diligently

 

While this is not a favorite chore for many people, it is one that has to be done daily when you have a little one crawling all over the floor. They love to discover items that can’t even be seen by the human eye and put them in their mouths. One of the best ways to find these invisible objects is to get on the floor at a baby’s level. Seeing what they see can stop a whole list of events that do not need to happen.

A great idea to utilize is letting everyone in the house know that they need to clean up anything off the floor that they may bring in on their shoes and to not leave items lying around that could pose any danger to the youngest in the family.

Install Cabinet and Drawer Locks

 

Besides everything that can be deadly, there are also heavy items in your cabinets so you need to invest in cabinet locks so that the cabinets and cupboards at floor level cannot be opened by your little crawler. They’re easy to install and will stop the baby from opening the doors on them, helping to avoid any accidents that could happen. Drawer locks work on pantry doors and drawers that contain objects your child doesn’t need to know about. They can be very versatile items and chances are you’ll find use for them even after the crawling phase has ended.

Put Up Baby Gates

 

Obviously, every parent with a mobile infant needs baby gates. They are used for the stairs, and doorways or other places that they can get to that could be dangerous. The gates come in different styles or varieties, be sure to choose what suits your needs the best. They also come in different sizes and shapes, but using the older accordion styles ones is not recommended because they can get their heads stuck in them if they try to put their heads through.

Another idea for baby gates is to use baby gates to build a play area for your child, big or small it’s up to you and you’ll know exactly where they are at all times. Because let’s face it, they may be laying on their belly having some belly time and then BAM! They’ve made a trek to the other side of the room. 0-60 in 5 seconds flat! It can certainly happen.

Buy Corner Protectors

 

While they are only in the crawling phase, they will eventually try to pull themselves into a standing position at some point, and usually underneath the edge or corner of a coffee table. No bueno. Invest in some corner protectors with cushions on both sides and place them on corners of items you don’t want them to run into, fall against, and hit their heads on.

Use a Safety Harness

 

A safety harness is a great thing to use when strapping your little ones into high chairs or baby carriages to ensure that they can’t crawl out of them. The most recommended to use is a 5 point harness ties around their little shoulders, legs, and waist keeping them in place so they aren’t able to get out. They want to do this because they know if they get down they will be able to crawl around.

Use Window Locks or Safety Catches

 

While your baby may be crawling around on the floor, there is the possibility that furniture sitting low to the ground but near windows may become interesting to the curious crawler. You don’t want to take the chance of them using their creativity to get up on that furniture and out the window. Install locks and catches and inform everyone in the house where the keys are located for these items.

Eliminate or Avoid Loose Hanging Items

 

While that little string of pearls may be cute on little Susie, it could run the risk of strangulation to her if it gets caught on something she’s crawling near. Avoid dressing the little crawlers in items that hang loose or have strings on them. They could get caught up on something and cause your baby to get hurt.

Also avoid putting their pacifier on a ribbon or string around their neck or attached to their clothing when they are crawling around for the same reason. Be sure to eliminate curtain ties that they could reach for and grab, as well as any other item that is similar to ropes, ribbons, leashes, and so forth. If you do have any such items in the home, just simply remove them from the area and out of their reach until they are older and those items do not pose a risk to them any longer.

Let these eight tips be a stepping stone in helping you prepare for your child to start the crawling phase. Babies have the right to wander around freely in their home without the possibility of them being hurt. After all, they may be the littlest one, but it’s still their house and everyone should get to explore their own home without incidents.

These tips can also help you feel more secure when your baby gets to the crawling stage, you’ll know they aren’t going to hurt themselves or eat anything that could cause them harm. By putting these ideas into place,you can safely turn your back for a short period and take care of the daily chores you do to keep your home and family happy.

Even with these precautions and other ones that you might come up with, always be sure to stay aware of where your little crawler is and take satisfaction in knowing that you have protected them the best way you can while they explore their domain freely and without incident.