lmahn
01-13-2004, 11:50 AM
Hi,
We are expecting our first child at the end of March, and are trying to get a head start on baby proofing. The problem is that we live at a boarding school where my husband teaches, and the apartment has some baby-proofing challenges! I think I am okay with the basics -- I will put plug blockers in all the outlets and my husband can put locks on the kitchen cabinets and drawers. We are also going to get cord windups to try to hide/secure phone cords and lamp cords. I have seen older postings about "cordmates" that actually attach to the wall and keep cords away from baby, but we can't really do that here, because we can't alter the walls that much. I think these are my main questions:
1) Has anyone used the cord wind ups and found them useful (or not)? And, do I need to get childproof surge protectors, or can I just put plug blocks into the open outlets on the surge protectors we have?
2) We can't anchor our furniture to the walls because the walls are actually concrete with no real studs (don't ask) and I don't trust the anchors to really hold anything secure. When we have drilled into the walls in the past to put up pictures or curtain rods, etc., the walls tend to either crumble apart or break the drill bit and then crumble apart. Does anyone have any other ideas for protecting baby from heavy furniture?
3) Aside from blocking plugs, securing cords, locking cabinets and drawers, and getting rid of things the baby can choke on, are there any major things I am forgetting? We have already put cleaning solutions, etc. out of reach, and the medicine cabinet is definitely inaccessible.
4) I have seen some postings about parents who found inexpensive wooden screen doors for the nursery to keep the cats out. We can't seem to find any screen doors that aren't heavy aluminium and close to $100. Any ideas? We are also getting a tent for the crib and for the PNP -- only because I have two VERY stubborn and willful cats who love warm bodies and don't like to hear "no." (We'll also try the cat tricks of aluminium foil and double-side tape as deterrents, but these are really stubborn, yet loveable, cats.)
Sorry this message is so long. We have had a scary, high-risk pregnancy and I think I am just worried about everything. But I also don't want to go crazy overboard with the childproofing. I don't think my parents did ANY childproofing when we were kids -- not that I am saying that is a good idea, but I guess I just need some advice on which things we should definitely take care of right away, and which things can wait until we see what our daughter is like and what she tends to gravitate towards. Thanks in advance for any suggestions.
~ Lisa
We are expecting our first child at the end of March, and are trying to get a head start on baby proofing. The problem is that we live at a boarding school where my husband teaches, and the apartment has some baby-proofing challenges! I think I am okay with the basics -- I will put plug blockers in all the outlets and my husband can put locks on the kitchen cabinets and drawers. We are also going to get cord windups to try to hide/secure phone cords and lamp cords. I have seen older postings about "cordmates" that actually attach to the wall and keep cords away from baby, but we can't really do that here, because we can't alter the walls that much. I think these are my main questions:
1) Has anyone used the cord wind ups and found them useful (or not)? And, do I need to get childproof surge protectors, or can I just put plug blocks into the open outlets on the surge protectors we have?
2) We can't anchor our furniture to the walls because the walls are actually concrete with no real studs (don't ask) and I don't trust the anchors to really hold anything secure. When we have drilled into the walls in the past to put up pictures or curtain rods, etc., the walls tend to either crumble apart or break the drill bit and then crumble apart. Does anyone have any other ideas for protecting baby from heavy furniture?
3) Aside from blocking plugs, securing cords, locking cabinets and drawers, and getting rid of things the baby can choke on, are there any major things I am forgetting? We have already put cleaning solutions, etc. out of reach, and the medicine cabinet is definitely inaccessible.
4) I have seen some postings about parents who found inexpensive wooden screen doors for the nursery to keep the cats out. We can't seem to find any screen doors that aren't heavy aluminium and close to $100. Any ideas? We are also getting a tent for the crib and for the PNP -- only because I have two VERY stubborn and willful cats who love warm bodies and don't like to hear "no." (We'll also try the cat tricks of aluminium foil and double-side tape as deterrents, but these are really stubborn, yet loveable, cats.)
Sorry this message is so long. We have had a scary, high-risk pregnancy and I think I am just worried about everything. But I also don't want to go crazy overboard with the childproofing. I don't think my parents did ANY childproofing when we were kids -- not that I am saying that is a good idea, but I guess I just need some advice on which things we should definitely take care of right away, and which things can wait until we see what our daughter is like and what she tends to gravitate towards. Thanks in advance for any suggestions.
~ Lisa