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  1. #1
    scar Guest

    Default Where is a good source of baby proofing products?

    We are looking for lots of baby proofing products. From plugs, to cabinet locks. Does anyone have recommendations or warnings about a particular brand or item. Any help would be great. Thanks
    Todd Carmichael

  2. #2
    JakesMom Guest

    Default RE: Where is a good source of baby proofing products?

    I would surf the baby sites and see what people think. Here are my opinions on baby proofing.

    1. GATES
    Do not ever assume that a pressure gate will withstand baby's activity and strength. My husband adamantly refused to drill holes in the wall to install our Safety1st gate, and my poor son fell down the stairs at seven months old. (Luckily, he rolled on his side and didn't bump or break any part of himself. But it scared the living daylights out of both of us.)

    Needless to say, that gate was fully wall-mounted that night. It takes quite a beating, and at one point pulled out of the wall. (I've had other parents tell me similar things happened with their gates.) So we reinforced the wall on each side with an oak 2x4, then drilled the gate back in using longer mollies. It's not going ANYWHERE. My son is now 14 months and very very good at figuring things out, but he hasn't been able to get past it.

    2. CABINET & DRAWER LATCHES
    These can be a real hassle. I wanted to install the magnetic Lok ones, but our kitchen cabinets are not deep enough to drill the mechanisms in. (Make sure you measure the dept of the cabinet & drawer doors before you choose a product.) So I compromised by purchasing slide locks to hold the handles closed on double doors, but neither the nanny nor my husband could work them. We ended up using his Sassy Baby Links (two of them) on the double doors -- they work perfectly! Just hook one link onto one door handle, then attach another link to it and hook it on the other door.

    We will need to install drawer latches in his room for when he's unsupervised, and I highly recommend it. Just (again) measure what you have and check the packages carefully.

    3. OUTLETS
    Don't waste your time with outlet plugs. My kid can pry those things out in seconds. I bought wall plates with the rotating plug covers -- very easy for adults to use, but kids can't mess with them. They also have outlet covers that actually cover the whole outlet when things are plugged in, but I had trouble installing them and my son can get into it anyway.

    Something to think about if you use surge protectors/power strips are covers for those. I got ours at Babies R Us for maybe $6, and it works great.


    4. WINDOW BLINDS/CORD SHORTENERS
    You should take a close look at all your blinds from your baby's point of view and make sure that there are no loose things to attract his/her attention. Check to make sure that if you have blind cords, they are securely kept out of the way by tiebacks or cord shorteners. The round ones from Safety 1st are cheap and not really sturdy, but are basically durable enough to handle your kid batting at them if he/she can reach them. What we do is use the cord shorteners, adjusted to the right height so that we can rest them on the mid-point sill -- they're not hanging, so our son can't see them.

    We have discovered that Jake thinks rattling blinds is great fun, so for the most part, ours are kept half-open so he can't reach them.

    5. STOVE KNOB COVERS
    Wow, it seems like yesterday that Jake couldn't even rach the kitchen chairs, and now he thinks the stove knobs are great fun. Again, we got Safety 1st (they really have a lock on the market, eh?), and they have a convenient 5-pack, which allows for four burners and one oven control. The only thing that stinks is that our oven control knob is not the right size. However, the covers are perfect for foiling little fingers.

    We did get appliance latches, but can't attach them because our stove and dishwasher are flush-mounted inside the cabinetry. We keep the dishwasher in the locked position so he can't get in, and just make sure he's never alone in the kitchen anyway, so the stove isn't a threat right now.

    I'll post more stuff as I think of it. Good luck!

    - Jodi in Chicago
    (Jake's Mom)

  3. #3
    Geebee Guest

    Default RE: Where is a good source of baby proofing products?

    Check out drbabyproofer.com. Even if you can find the stuff someplace else for a better price, you can see what he recommends.

    Cabinet Locks: Try Gerber spring loaded cabinet locks (I found them at Babies R Us). A friend recommended them because Dr. Babyproofer recommends them. They are so much better than the brand that I originally bought (and returned). They don't allow the cabinets to be opened very far, and there is only one piece to install instead of two (half the work and safer!).

  4. #4
    martha7 Guest

    Default RE: Where is a good source of baby proofing products?

    Buy Buy Baby (in the New York area) has a very large selection. BabiesRUs has stuff too, though not as much. I DO NOT recommend hiring a baby proofer (I did and it was a total WASTE.... did much better buying the stuff myself and getting a competent contractor to install it). I had to have the contractor TAKE OUT the lousy stuff the child proofer put in, can you believe? Anyway, Buy Buy Baby has a very large selection and they're very easygoing about returns (it's easy to buy this stuff, get it home, and find it doesn't fit or do the trick or can't be installed). Good luck!

  5. #5
    lisaflores Guest

    Default RE: Where is a good source of baby proofing products?

    To save money, have you checked out Home Depot? They have many baby proofing supplies comparable to places like Babies R us for cheaper.

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