I know a lot of us are freaking out about the Coronavirus, and though I believe it to be serious I think the best way to handle the "crisis" is to use your common sense. There is no reason to lose our minds BUT....you don't want to spread it around either. So here are some things to consider BEFORE you schedule a babysitter for your children during this time of caution.
Topics: safety, thoughtful, Community, community service, appreciation, babysitters In Denver CO, Child proofing, babysitters in a pinch, health, Coronavirus
Poke into any parenting group, and you quickly learn that there are two main approaches to babyproofing your house: You can make yourself a little crazy (and go broke; did you know baby-proofing can cost $2400?!) by considering every eventuality, and then purchasing a product to prevent against it; or, you can take a more relaxed tactic, outfit your home with basic baby-proofing supplies, and then let your child’s behavior dictate what else you’ll need.
I (and my wallet) am in the second camp. There are so many baby proofing products on the market but, now that I’ve done this dance for a while, I know – baby proofing is all about your specific kid: What do they get into? What rooms do they frequent? What dangers exist in your home?
Here’s my low-stress approach (wine optional) to baby-proofing the house:
Get down on the floor, and take a look at your home from a child’s eyes: What serious dangers are within easy reach? What hazards and challenges does your home present?
Relocate valuables and sand down sharp edges (or add corner guards). Store cleaning products, paint, hazardous substances, and other dangers out of the way, behind lock and key. Install high door locks. Place walk-through baby gates at the top and bottom of the stairs. For general safety, set your hot water heater below 120ºF. Make sure you have fire extinguishers on each floor, and sufficient smoke and carbon monoxide detectors placed throughout your home. Secure heavy, climbable furniture (e.g. clothes dressers, entertainment centers) to the walls with furniture straps.
Not going to lie: As soon as my kiddo could scoot, I went a little overboard with the plug covers. The good news is, outlet protectors are one of the cheapest and most useful baby proofing supplies you’ll buy, hands down. Babies are curious and they investigate everything, so think of outlet covers as inexpensive peace of mind. You can pick up a 36-pack of outlet plugs for just a few dollars, or get fancy with self-closing outlet covers.
The fun (not) starts here. Baby-proofing your house can be a stressful process: your mind is running through all the potential what-ifs and your parent-bear instinct is kicking in, all while your credit card is getting dinged. And dinged, and dinged.
Do yourself a favor, and take a deep breath. A little deeper. There, that’s it. Baby Proofing can be simple. You can take the relaxed approach. Your little one is going to be just fine. Now, let’s go.
Confession: My oldest is 5, and the kitchen still gives me anxiety. Knives, and ovens, and open flames – yikes! The dangers are there, you’re usually distracted, and an accident can happen in an instant. So, let’s start with baby proofing the kitchen.
There are few oft-recommended gadgets I won’t recommend, at least not to start. Let’s take safety latches, for example: They can be a pain to open, they don’t always work, and they’re not really necessary, if you rearrange your bottom cabinets to hold baby-safe pots and pans. Lock up vitamins and meds, and place choking hazards, magnets, and cleaning products far out of reach.
So, what do you want? Some way to close your kid out of the kitchen, that’s what! A wide, extra-wide, or even super crazy-wide baby gate should do the trick. Then, grab a good cabinet lock (for your cleaning products, even if they’re up high). Leave the rest – the knob covers, the appliance locks, the burner guards – until your baby is walking and reaching. (I never needed them.)
Your kiddo is going to spend a lot of time in the living room/family room/den, so this is one place you want to make very safe for baby.
Wobbly toddlers and new runners trip, slip and fall often, so start by slapping on a bunch of those corner guards we talked about earlier. Store knickknacks out of reach. Secure your fireplace with a hearth guard. Tape back any hanging blind pulls (they’re a strangulation hazard), or install cord winders, or indulge in that much-desired upgrade to cordless blinds. Baby-proof the TV, and don’t forget those with anti-tip straps. Make sure your outlet covers are in place, and tape extension cords down with electrical tape.
Surprisingly, the bathroom requires just a bit of baby-proofing. Place medicines, soaps, electrical gadgets, and other potential dangers (e.g. your razor) out of reach. If you’ve set your hot water heater to under 120ºF, you won’t need any of those fancy water thermometers or other doodads.
What I do recommend is an easy-open cabinet lock (like strap locks or sliding D-locks), so you can keep at least one cabinet completely off-limits to baby. If your baby is fascinated by water, you might want to consider a toilet lock. Finally, a no-slip bath mat is a lifesaver (literally), when your kiddo is old enough to sit up (or – shudder – stand) by himself at bath time.
Your little one will spend a lot of time in their room, so make sure their nursery is safe: Be sure your crib meets current safety standards. Throw away crib bumpers, and take blankets, stuffed animals, and other suffocation hazards out of the crib. Add outlet covers EVERYWHERE. Secure heavy furniture to the walls with straps.
A few other considerations: Our most-loved bedroom baby-proofing supplies boiled down to a single item that we purchased over, and over, and over again: finger pinch guards for the door. They are incredible, especially if you have breezes blowing through your home. (Hinge guards are also available.) In that same vein, you may also want to swap out your toy chest’s standard hinge for a soft-close safety hinge.
That’s it – the extent of my first-round baby-proofing for any house. Remember, as your kiddo grows and explores, you’ll learn more about what he does (and doesn’t) need, as far as additional child safety and proofing goes. (Great ideas here. Also here.) In the meantime, enjoy the milestones!
Topics: parenting, success, family, education, organizing kids, safety, Awareness, independent children, independent play, Fathers, Dads, technology for parents, new parents, Child proofing, babysitters in a pinch
Internet safety is an important lesson to teach any child – and even adults. But when you’ve got a special needs child or a child that learns differently than others, it becomes especially important to talk to them about this and make sure they – and you, as well – are equipped for the unique challenges internet activity poses for neuroatypical individuals.
Topics: internet education, autism, safety, Community, independent play, apps for parents, technology for parents, the next best thing
We have all heard different Halloween urban legends from tainted candy to the sacrifice of black cats.
Topics: Holidays, parenting, fun facts, Trick-or-treat, Halloween safety, Halloween, safety, Awareness, Community, Teaching, responsibilities, memories, new parents
Hate is a very strong word but there is definitely a strong dislike parents have about babysitters' behaviors. It is hard enough to leave your children with a babysitter especially one you don't know but, unfortunately, leaving your kids with a babysitter is a necessary "evil" from time to time.
Topics: babysitting, childcare, Babysitting agencies, Babysitters in my area, chores, parenting, success, family, education, organizing kids, discipline, teenagers, safety, Community, Teaching, responsibilities, babysitters In Denver CO
Every parent wonders about babysitters, and what they do with their children while they're gone. Parents also need to know what makes a good babysitter for their children. The thing parents think is the most important part about a good babysitter is if the kids like them. HINT: all children will love a babysitter that will let them do whatever they want even though you don't allow certain behaviors or activities and you've directed the babysitter. Keep that in mind and know why your kids love a babysitter; are they a babysitter that lets the kids do whatever they want including watching too much TV?
Topics: babysitting, childcare, Babysitting service for visiting families, Hotel babysitters, Babysitting agencies, Babysitters in my area, parenting, raising successful adults, adulthood, family, organizing kids, discipline, safety, Awareness, Community, Style, responsibilities
If you ask any parent anywhere the biggest problem parents have when using a babysitter even when it is family; is trust. Trusting a babysitter is the biggest problem parents have when leaving their children with anyone other than themselves. Even parents have been known to have trust issues when leaving their children with the other spouse. Leaving children with a babysitter related or not is so difficult that a lot of parents choose never to leave their children, and then they get burnt out. You need to face it; you need a break, and figure out how to trust your caregivers.
Topics: babysitting, childcare, Babysitting service for visiting families, Hotel babysitters, Babysitting agencies, Babysitters in my area, parenting, family, organizing kids, discipline, safety, thoughtful, Awareness, Community, Teaching, recruiting babysitters, responsibilities, babysitters In Denver CO
Excellent babysitters are rare, hard to find and harder still to keep. Whether you hire a sitter for a night out or to provide permanent daycare, letting them know what you expect is essential. It is confusing for children to have one set of rules for dad, another for mom, and ‘who is this stranger ordering me around?’ Whether your sitter is the kid next door or a fully vetted pro from an agency, everyone needs to be on the same page.
Topics: Insider, babysitting, childcare, Babysitting service for visiting families, Hotel babysitters, Babysitting agencies, Babysitters in my area, parenting, success, family, fun, education, summer, creating, safety, Teaching, babysitters In Denver CO, independent children, independent play
To quote Winnie the Pooh, "Oh bother" a gentle way of saying I'm frustrated, angered, disappointed, etc. Simply put babysitting is a challenge and much different then parenting and teaching. Babysitters need to make a connection with a child immediately while adhering to family rules, keeping children safe, making snap judgements as to safety and what is really allowed by parents and what is not. There are always details missing, and kids will inevitably tell a babysitter that they can do something when they probably can't.
Topics: babysitting, childcare, Babysitting service for visiting families, Hotel babysitters, Babysitting agencies, Babysitters in my area, parenting, raising successful adults, family, education, fun facts, summer, organizing kids, creating, discipline, no, safety, thoughtful, Awareness, Community, gratefulness, Teaching, community service, appreciation, recruiting babysitters, When you are sick and have children, responsibilities, babysitters In Denver CO
Traveling with children when you want to spend time with your significant other without kids can be hard. Now days, however, it really shouldn't be for the savvy and not so savvy traveler. Everywhere you go, especially metropolitan areas there are babysitting services in the area; all you need to do is find them and research them BEFORE you get to your destination. You need to do this because you need to find out the reputation of the agency, and get comfortable with them before you decide you want them to take care of your children.
Topics: Babysitting service for visiting families, Hotel babysitters, parenting, family, fun, summer, organizing kids, safety, Awareness, recruiting babysitters, babysitters In Denver CO
