Get that out of your mouth!
February 26, 2010 4:15 PM Subscribe
Childproofing for the destructive child just starting to get mobile.
Baby anachronism is rapidly becoming mobile - commando crawling has begun in earnest. So now we're looking at how to child proof our loungeroom - everything else seems reasonably easy (cupboards locked, powerpoints covered/in use, chokables and poisonables locked away up high, no water laying around). Our loungeroom seems far more complex to childproof and it's where we spend the most time (it's got the heater and the aircon plus her toybox). We've got a TV with assorted peripherals and consoles on a low bench type setup (no doors). My partners desktop PC with about seven kilometers worth of cabling. My laptop. So far she's busted my mouse and headphones and that was prior to the crawling.
The main problem is cabling and the consoles. The heater is getting a screen in front of it, the TV will get bolted down. Am I looking at getting a new entertainment unit with glass doors I can lock? Am I looking at a complete change in the room to take out our electrics? She's got a fascination with cables (hence my mouse and headphones biting the dust) and is really quite active. What are your favourite childproofing hacks and products?
Baby anachronism is rapidly becoming mobile - commando crawling has begun in earnest. So now we're looking at how to child proof our loungeroom - everything else seems reasonably easy (cupboards locked, powerpoints covered/in use, chokables and poisonables locked away up high, no water laying around). Our loungeroom seems far more complex to childproof and it's where we spend the most time (it's got the heater and the aircon plus her toybox). We've got a TV with assorted peripherals and consoles on a low bench type setup (no doors). My partners desktop PC with about seven kilometers worth of cabling. My laptop. So far she's busted my mouse and headphones and that was prior to the crawling.
The main problem is cabling and the consoles. The heater is getting a screen in front of it, the TV will get bolted down. Am I looking at getting a new entertainment unit with glass doors I can lock? Am I looking at a complete change in the room to take out our electrics? She's got a fascination with cables (hence my mouse and headphones biting the dust) and is really quite active. What are your favourite childproofing hacks and products?
She need a safe play space, and one of you needs to be with her while she is playing in it. It sounds like baby-proofing your loungeroom is beyond a major project. I see two options:
1. Assuming she has something like a nursery that's already been baby-proofed, can you relocate her toys to her room and make the loungeroom off-limits until she's older? It takes the whole TV-and-computer scene out of the picture, along with its associated cables, and has the added benefit of making her play space quieter and less hectic. We went this route and it worked well for us.
2. Alternatively, you can get some temporary baby gates and fencing (this is a representative example). Of course, at some point she becomes strong enough to escape that enclosure, and then you are back where you started.
posted by mosk at 4:42 PM on February 26, 2010
1. Assuming she has something like a nursery that's already been baby-proofed, can you relocate her toys to her room and make the loungeroom off-limits until she's older? It takes the whole TV-and-computer scene out of the picture, along with its associated cables, and has the added benefit of making her play space quieter and less hectic. We went this route and it worked well for us.
2. Alternatively, you can get some temporary baby gates and fencing (this is a representative example). Of course, at some point she becomes strong enough to escape that enclosure, and then you are back where you started.
posted by mosk at 4:42 PM on February 26, 2010
if one of your consoles is an xbox 360, don't put it behind glass doors unless you like the look of the RROD.
posted by nadawi at 4:49 PM on February 26, 2010
posted by nadawi at 4:49 PM on February 26, 2010
I would recommend an entertainment unit with opaque cabinet doors. Not being able to see the plethora of blinking lights does wonders to disinterest baby. If that's not possible, find one with shelves that place components out of arms reach.
An aside regarding consoles and remotes, our entertainment armoire has opaque doors; the XBox 360 controllers manage to penetrate. If you're shopping around, you might want to test this before committing on a purchase.
As for destroying stuff, we pulled the batteries out of a remote control and XBox controller and set them aside as sacrificial decoys for baby.
We abandoned our tower PC for a laptop-only household. It's kind of a Gordian knot solution for the cable clutter, but I love it. We tucked away the NAS and wireless Epson printer in a closet, no more cables anywhere. Close the doors on the armoire, put away the laptop, and unplug from technology. It makes bedtime stories much more peaceful.
[On preview: nadawi, how are you associating "red ring of death" with glass doors? Over heating?]
posted by Loser at 4:51 PM on February 26, 2010
An aside regarding consoles and remotes, our entertainment armoire has opaque doors; the XBox 360 controllers manage to penetrate. If you're shopping around, you might want to test this before committing on a purchase.
As for destroying stuff, we pulled the batteries out of a remote control and XBox controller and set them aside as sacrificial decoys for baby.
We abandoned our tower PC for a laptop-only household. It's kind of a Gordian knot solution for the cable clutter, but I love it. We tucked away the NAS and wireless Epson printer in a closet, no more cables anywhere. Close the doors on the armoire, put away the laptop, and unplug from technology. It makes bedtime stories much more peaceful.
[On preview: nadawi, how are you associating "red ring of death" with glass doors? Over heating?]
posted by Loser at 4:51 PM on February 26, 2010
loser: yep. he could get lucky and it doesn't overheat in there. i've just known too many people (myself included) who were not that lucky.
posted by nadawi at 4:53 PM on February 26, 2010
posted by nadawi at 4:53 PM on February 26, 2010
We put a baby gate in the kitchen, but otherwise we did not childproof much. The main problem was with the DVDs and CDs (too shiny and attractive) so we moved them out of reach, but the general feeling was that except for the truly dangerous or fragile things it was better to let our baby girl have free access to objects (under supervision) so that she could learn how to manipulate them correctly (i.e. like her parents do). No problem so far, but then her behaviour was always more imitative than destructive so perhaps we've been lucky.
posted by elgilito at 5:18 PM on February 26, 2010
posted by elgilito at 5:18 PM on February 26, 2010
We tried to put heavy pieces of furniture in front of trouble spots that could not be babyproofed satisfactorily.
We like tot loks and two-piece sliding outlet covers.
Other than that, we moved everything breakable or dangerous up, or out.
posted by pinky at 5:49 PM on February 26, 2010
We like tot loks and two-piece sliding outlet covers.
Other than that, we moved everything breakable or dangerous up, or out.
posted by pinky at 5:49 PM on February 26, 2010
We've gone the ugly route making square-U shaped fort around things with baby gates for things like the TV and the desk.
Yep, we did that too--we got this thing and some extra panels (optional) and used them to block off the fireplace area (fireplace, fireplace tools, wood rack) as well as the kitchen entry and the stairs. It's pretty ugly and stepping over it is annoying (I don't trust myself to remember to lock the gate every time, so we don't use it), but the peace of mind is worth it. At least it's made of wood--could be worse.
Other than using outlet covers and removing obvious hazards, we chose not to do too much babyproofing. We anchor the furniture to the walls with drywall anchors and nylon straps, because when they start climbing, falling furniture can be deadly. I keep his books on the lower two shelves of the bookcase he likes best, so he can reach them at his leisure. And I keep an eye on him. If I have to leave the room for more than 30 seconds or so, I put him in his Pack n' Play, which is ugly as sin and screams "You are a dorky parent!" but has been worth its weight in gold since he became mobile.
You'll learn to keep the floors really clean. Nothing makes you feel like a deadbeat more than a smiling baby with black hands, knees, and feet (the tops, of course). You'll also learn that things you dropped aeons ago that you thought were lost forever aren't lost at all--they're in your baby's mouth. Old, bent nails? Check. Coins, pieces of bark or leaves tracked in from the front door, buttons, thumbtacks, sewing needles, single earrings? Yes.
A tiny nugget of old, dried out, crumbling dog poo that somehow escaped your attention when the puppy was still being housebroken and must have rolled under the couch, where it dwelt in silent grossness until the day your toddler found it? Yum!
One thing that might help is getting down to your kid's level and seeing what s/he sees. The world is a very different place when you're under 3 feet tall, and you can spot potential hazards that you wouldn't notice from above.
posted by balls at 7:26 PM on February 26, 2010
Yep, we did that too--we got this thing and some extra panels (optional) and used them to block off the fireplace area (fireplace, fireplace tools, wood rack) as well as the kitchen entry and the stairs. It's pretty ugly and stepping over it is annoying (I don't trust myself to remember to lock the gate every time, so we don't use it), but the peace of mind is worth it. At least it's made of wood--could be worse.
Other than using outlet covers and removing obvious hazards, we chose not to do too much babyproofing. We anchor the furniture to the walls with drywall anchors and nylon straps, because when they start climbing, falling furniture can be deadly. I keep his books on the lower two shelves of the bookcase he likes best, so he can reach them at his leisure. And I keep an eye on him. If I have to leave the room for more than 30 seconds or so, I put him in his Pack n' Play, which is ugly as sin and screams "You are a dorky parent!" but has been worth its weight in gold since he became mobile.
You'll learn to keep the floors really clean. Nothing makes you feel like a deadbeat more than a smiling baby with black hands, knees, and feet (the tops, of course). You'll also learn that things you dropped aeons ago that you thought were lost forever aren't lost at all--they're in your baby's mouth. Old, bent nails? Check. Coins, pieces of bark or leaves tracked in from the front door, buttons, thumbtacks, sewing needles, single earrings? Yes.
A tiny nugget of old, dried out, crumbling dog poo that somehow escaped your attention when the puppy was still being housebroken and must have rolled under the couch, where it dwelt in silent grossness until the day your toddler found it? Yum!
One thing that might help is getting down to your kid's level and seeing what s/he sees. The world is a very different place when you're under 3 feet tall, and you can spot potential hazards that you wouldn't notice from above.
posted by balls at 7:26 PM on February 26, 2010
You need to put a lock on the oven door and always, always make sure the dishwasher door is secured when you shut it. The idea of a cruising toddler innocently grabbing on to the oven handle only to have it *swing down to the floor with her beneath it* gives me the howling maternal fantods.
posted by zoomorphic at 8:07 PM on February 26, 2010
posted by zoomorphic at 8:07 PM on February 26, 2010
Check your cruising-accessible appliances (dishwasher, washer/dryer, dvd player) for a button-lock mode. Toddlers love to push buttons. Especially when the big box makes a fun whooshing noise immediately thereafter.
Also keep an eye on trash cans and other containers. I lost my wedding ring during a 'put stuff in the trash can when mommy isn't looking' phase.
posted by Dojie at 10:08 PM on February 26, 2010
Also keep an eye on trash cans and other containers. I lost my wedding ring during a 'put stuff in the trash can when mommy isn't looking' phase.
posted by Dojie at 10:08 PM on February 26, 2010
Response by poster: Thanks for all the tips - currently there's no dishwasher, the oven is set in the wall and the stove top is well out of reach. The kitchen and laundry are able to be isolated by doors as well which helps obviously. I'm pondering a grate/playpen type arrangement for the danger zones which will be the desk and the TV unit (I'd forgotten about the RROD/overheating even though we've been there once and have no desire to do it again). I'll have to investigate the button lock mode too - we've managed to not have any major issues beyond my headset/mouse being used to haul herself to standing but the DVD player is right there in all it's chewable, pokable and grabbable glory.
The separate room idea is unfortunately not going to work - apart from not having a nursery we're restricted by the heating and cooling being in the living room only and that I really don't want to spend the bulk of my day in a kid's room and I need the area where we spend our time as a family to be somewhere she's safe.
posted by geek anachronism at 1:00 AM on February 27, 2010
The separate room idea is unfortunately not going to work - apart from not having a nursery we're restricted by the heating and cooling being in the living room only and that I really don't want to spend the bulk of my day in a kid's room and I need the area where we spend our time as a family to be somewhere she's safe.
posted by geek anachronism at 1:00 AM on February 27, 2010
Having the kitchen blocked off by a child proof gate was really a load off our mind - not to scare you but ours started walking at 10 months and not long after learned how to open all of the doors by himself.
We locked cupboard doors where we could and basically started to try and put everything beyond reach. I actually duct taped plugs into sockets - not pretty but effective.
posted by gomichild at 3:36 AM on February 27, 2010
We locked cupboard doors where we could and basically started to try and put everything beyond reach. I actually duct taped plugs into sockets - not pretty but effective.
posted by gomichild at 3:36 AM on February 27, 2010
Best answer: Babyproofing is really good; it keeps your kid safe and it protects your electronics. But it has it's limitations. When Wallababy turned mobile, we worked hard to make our home safe for him. We did it primarily so that he was free to explore and we didn't have to squelch his curious spirit by saying "no". Worked pretty well, too, until he started going to other people's houses more. Their houses weren't toddler ready and all of a sudden the rules changed. Mommy and Daddy had to say no and Wallababy wasn't quite sure how to deal with that. Even tougher, the homeowners sometimes got on him themselves and didn't always do it in the gentle way that Mommy and Daddy do.
So because we don't want to stop going out, we've had to change things up a little at home. There are tempting thing in sight and in reach. He's learning boundaries and that the world is not his playground.
So my suggestion is to babyproof somewhat. Eliminate the risk of the truly dangerous stuff but leave some stuff around so that you have to say "no". It means that when your kid is in the lounge room you'll have to be a little more hands-on but you'll be helping your kid in the long run.
Oh, and we do make sure there are rooms where he can do whatever he wants. Although now he's two and all bets are off. He finds mischief to get into no matter where he is!
posted by wallaby at 3:54 AM on February 27, 2010
So because we don't want to stop going out, we've had to change things up a little at home. There are tempting thing in sight and in reach. He's learning boundaries and that the world is not his playground.
So my suggestion is to babyproof somewhat. Eliminate the risk of the truly dangerous stuff but leave some stuff around so that you have to say "no". It means that when your kid is in the lounge room you'll have to be a little more hands-on but you'll be helping your kid in the long run.
Oh, and we do make sure there are rooms where he can do whatever he wants. Although now he's two and all bets are off. He finds mischief to get into no matter where he is!
posted by wallaby at 3:54 AM on February 27, 2010
I agree with wallaby. Had the same experiences. Babies can understand that things are hot or Owie. And this may be mean, but I followed mine around when they began playing with electric plugs and made loud, startling BRZZT! noises behind them and then said Owie! when they looked at me. Those little plug covers are useless.
The dangerous stuff wasn't that hard to train, but things with buttons are still a challenge. The best strategy I have found for computer and phone cords is to store something interesting in front of them. That way you at least have a minute to get over there and tell them no and fragile.
Baby proofing can create an arms race where the baby will eventually win. Locks will be figured out, and height is just a motivation to learn to climb.
posted by psycho-alchemy at 4:38 AM on February 27, 2010
The dangerous stuff wasn't that hard to train, but things with buttons are still a challenge. The best strategy I have found for computer and phone cords is to store something interesting in front of them. That way you at least have a minute to get over there and tell them no and fragile.
Baby proofing can create an arms race where the baby will eventually win. Locks will be figured out, and height is just a motivation to learn to climb.
posted by psycho-alchemy at 4:38 AM on February 27, 2010
I think an entertainment center is in order though.
posted by psycho-alchemy at 4:42 AM on February 27, 2010
posted by psycho-alchemy at 4:42 AM on February 27, 2010
Nthing the suggestion of something with doors.
Along with putting the cds/dvds above cruising height, think about moving grownup books out of reach too. My son thought that books, all books, were for eating. We once spent an anxious few minutes on the phone with poison control after he got interested in a crumbling antique Mark Twain volume and we had to dig pieces of bright red book cover leather out of his mouth. Live and learn.
We used a giant kid corral in our living room, kind of like a cross between baby gates and a pack and play, folding, with multiple sections and big enough to crawl around in. Often hung out in there with him.
posted by mneekadon at 6:17 AM on February 27, 2010
Along with putting the cds/dvds above cruising height, think about moving grownup books out of reach too. My son thought that books, all books, were for eating. We once spent an anxious few minutes on the phone with poison control after he got interested in a crumbling antique Mark Twain volume and we had to dig pieces of bright red book cover leather out of his mouth. Live and learn.
We used a giant kid corral in our living room, kind of like a cross between baby gates and a pack and play, folding, with multiple sections and big enough to crawl around in. Often hung out in there with him.
posted by mneekadon at 6:17 AM on February 27, 2010
Response by poster: Having the kitchen blocked off by a child proof gate was really a load off our mind - not to scare you but ours started walking at 10 months and not long after learned how to open all of the doors by himself.
The advantage of a house built in the 70s is it's totally inaccessible. The door handles are 150cm from the floor for the most part - I'll probably get a gate and leave the door between the kitchen and lounge open since it's a sliding door and it's going to be hard to child-lock without serious modification (oh renting, how much you suck). I've moved her toy box so she can't pull the guitar hero controllers onto herself (again) so I think we might do something similar with the desktop computer - it's mostly about giving us time to get there rather than being able to leave her there unsupervised. I just have nightmare visions of the slow-mo oh shit too later run as she's pulling something onto herself/chewing a powercable/eating a fly (god I'm glad I don't have pets).
CDs are in our bedroom, DVDs and books on the bookshelf in the guest room but games live in the loungeroom so I think we need to learn to put them elsewhere. I'm experimenting with ways to cover the entertainment unit to dull the lights/obscure the cables. We're much more fans of the "we don't touch X, Y and Z" than the "here you are, you're allowed to touch anything you can reach" so working out the necessities is important. We've started getting rid of the obvious temptations as well (new cordless mouse, cordless headset etc).
posted by geek anachronism at 6:04 PM on February 27, 2010
The advantage of a house built in the 70s is it's totally inaccessible. The door handles are 150cm from the floor for the most part - I'll probably get a gate and leave the door between the kitchen and lounge open since it's a sliding door and it's going to be hard to child-lock without serious modification (oh renting, how much you suck). I've moved her toy box so she can't pull the guitar hero controllers onto herself (again) so I think we might do something similar with the desktop computer - it's mostly about giving us time to get there rather than being able to leave her there unsupervised. I just have nightmare visions of the slow-mo oh shit too later run as she's pulling something onto herself/chewing a powercable/eating a fly (god I'm glad I don't have pets).
CDs are in our bedroom, DVDs and books on the bookshelf in the guest room but games live in the loungeroom so I think we need to learn to put them elsewhere. I'm experimenting with ways to cover the entertainment unit to dull the lights/obscure the cables. We're much more fans of the "we don't touch X, Y and Z" than the "here you are, you're allowed to touch anything you can reach" so working out the necessities is important. We've started getting rid of the obvious temptations as well (new cordless mouse, cordless headset etc).
posted by geek anachronism at 6:04 PM on February 27, 2010
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We've gone the ugly route making square-U shaped fort around things with baby gates for things like the TV and the desk.
Look at baby proofing the stove as well, toddlers love to imitate their parents and will turn on the stove.
We found our girl loves to pretend to be like mom or dad, and the laptop has taken a few tumbles as she tried to use it. We've pretty much segregated things like that to the den or behind baby gates or "up high". That was one of our babys first phrases "up high!" for when the laptop would be taken away.
Lock the drawers as well, they have easy to install plastic blockers to keep them from opening.
posted by bottlebrushtree at 4:36 PM on February 26, 2010