Most parents will tell you that as nerve-racking as the first few days and weeks of being home with your baby are, nothing compares to a few months down the line when your child is able to crawl. Every edge, every drawer, ever outlet is suddenly a potential hazard. Baby proofing your home is critical and while it can feel overwhelming, it’s really pretty easy. We spoke with Judah Bergman, the founder of Jool Baby, a leading maker of baby safety products, to get all the need-to-know facts.
Momtastic: At what age should parents make sure their home is safety proof?
Judah Bergman: Children can start crawling from 6 months old, and that’s when childproofing needs to be fully implemented. Based on that, I would advise parents to approach childproofing when their baby is 3 months old, allowing time for them to research, purchase and install the child proofing devices needed to ensure their home is safe.
Momtastic: What are key things parents should consider when trying to figure out how/what to safety proof?
Judah Bergman: Parents should make sure to invest in products that are convenient to use and aesthetically pleasing so that they are motivated to actually install and use them. A child safety product that sits on your counter due to its tedious installation or unattractive appearance is not protecting your child.
Parents should also invest time gathering information from reliable sources such as reputable parenting websites and magazines. Experienced parents can also serve as a helpful resource of information, tips and product suggestions. First time parents are often not even aware of potential hazards.
Momtastic: What areas do parents often overlook?
Judah Bergman: Parents are sometimes blind to their children’s vulnerability and fail to protect areas which they think won’t be a threat to their particular child. Children are constantly learning and exploring, so it’s never a good idea to assume that your child is simply not interested in a particular object or area of the home. As an example, using electrical outlet covers is cheap and easy, and protects children from serious danger, yet many parents fail to use them. You’re always better safe than sorry.
Momtastic: Anything parents safety proof that you don’t think is actually necessary?
Judah Bergman: Practically every safety product does serve a real purpose. However, excessive childproofing can become burdensome and is unnecessary. Locking cabinets that are high up or totally inaccessible just creates inconvenience for the adults in the home. As with everything in life, common sense is paramount.
