Baby-proofing nightmares!

[elaine]

I am terribly frustrated with the whole baby-proofing thing.

Here's how everything goes:

1. I am convinced that I have a critical need for a specific product for baby's safety.

2. I hunt high and low to find said product at any store (and I'm in metro LA - not in the sticks!)

3. I find the product. I purchase it.

4. I attempt to install it, only to discover that it is not compatible with my house.

Sometimes I get to skip one or two of these steps, but sometimes I go through all of them.

Examples:
- outlet covers. The fancy spring kinds can only be used with are only made for a dual outlet that is made of two separate round plug outlines, with a screw in the center. There do not seem to be any for rectangular outlets that have both plugs in one plate and no visible screw, as are found in my house and my office.

- cabinet latches. The cabinet doors in my bathroom are too narrow to work with either kind of latch I purchased - the angle is too steep.

- power strip protectors. This is what I really need, but I don't have the standard cheap power strips that match the protector outline.

Also, if anyone has figured out a gate system that will restrain tbe baby but allow a medium sized dog to pass through freely, I'd be grateful.

[Hunibr2]

Have you tried the magnetic cabinet locks? I've heard that they work great and Babiesrus carries them both in their stores and on their website, so you wouldn't have to look far to find them :) I wish I could help you with the rest of your list, but this is the best I can do. Good luck finding what you need!

Hunibr

[sendust]

We have a cat and hence had the same problem. For the gate we bought that had a step down and open feature (not to be used at the top of the stairs) my husband cut a hole in the gate (i.e. cut the bottom half of one rung out) and put what amounts to bumper pads on the vertical rungs of the gate so the cat could squeeze through but not the baby. If your dog is large this may not be an option for you. Our cat weighs 15 pounds. We haven't done the same to the gate at the top of the stairs yet but will probably have to eventually. I looked at dog gates on the internet and they were very expensive and most likely the doors for the dog were too big. This gate appears to be a magnet for our 9 month old and so far it has worked very well for both baby and cat.

[thomcatbob]

The magnetic locks for cabinets and drawers are wonderful because the child cannot get into them unless they know how to unlock with the magnetic key (my ds is approaching 12 mos and has somewhat figured out you have to slide the key on the outside to get it to work although he has not been successful in opening them...I'm amazed!!!) They are more expensive than the other types but we found most of the other latches on the market allow the little ones to open cabinets and drawers approximately an inch or so which means they would catch their fingers and possibly mash them. My ds also discovered how to open the cabinets with the cheapy slide on locks...just pull them off at an angle and you're in the cabinet!!!