From 2011 to 2013, an average of 11,000 children were treated in emergency rooms for injuries involving furniture. Where young children are concerned, particularly babies and toddlers, furniture can become a hazard if precautions are not taken. When babies move from the crib to a toddler bed and start walking around the house, it's important to take steps to make sure their curiosity doesn't lead to any dangerous situations.
Here are a few tips to help you baby-proof your home:
- Think softness: Babies fall. Nothing we do can stop that, so our best bet is to make sure there are ways to soften falls when they happen. If you don't have carpeting in your home, this is a good time to consider adding rugs to hard floors. Make sure to add rug pads to avoid sliding. Make sure other furnishings, like sofas, have soft edges and no particularly sharp parts that jut out. If you have a table, you might want to consider replacing it with a cushioned ottoman. These can double for coffee tables and are much less dangerous for your toddler.
- Cleanliness: Sometime during toddlerhood babies enter a phase where they spend most of their time sticky. There's nothing worse than finding all your furniture encrusted with strange sticky patches that are impossible to remove. For this reason it's important to be mindful of clean up when baby-proofing your home. Move furniture you don't want getting dirty to storage and select pieces that are easy to clean and stain resistant. Many upholstery fabrics now are made with highly durable fiber blends and are easily cleaned with water alone.
- Sturdiness: One of the main reasons children suffer a furniture injury is because they try to grab hold of or climb up something, like a table or cabinet, and it tips over on them. Make sure your furniture is stable and use things like wall anchors to keep unsteady pieces in place.
Looking for new furniture to baby-proof your home? Stop by Arwood's Furniture & Mattress, a top Missouri furniture store for help with your selection.
