Guys, we are going through it right now. If you’ve been on my Instagram lately, you know that we are struggling with Camille running around at night. She learned how to escape her crib last week and she is taking full advantage of this new freedom.
Jo said that sometime last week he had to use the restroom so he placed Camille in her crib. A few moments later the bathroom door opened, Camille poked her head in, waved while saying “Hi!,” and then she ran away. He was shocked. As soon as he told me this, I hopped on Amazon and ordered every baby-proofing gadget that was ever created by man. We totally put off baby-proofing, and at this point it was just inevitable. Don’t judge us!
After receiving our massive shipment of baby-proofing equipment, I low-key freaked out because everything was so damn ugly. My desire to keep Cami safe trumped the aesthetics of the items (as it should have), but it dawned on me that there must certainly be a way where we can keep her safe, while not having to live with such ugly, bulky baby proofing stuff. So I decided to investigate. Obviously, baby-proofing is not going to be glamorous at all, but it doesn’t have to be hideous and it does not last forever.
Before you buy out Amazon …
There are ways to make small baby-proofing tweaks for free. My first suggestion is to change your perspective. Most of us are most-likely significantly larger than our tots and our vantage points are very different than theirs. Return to your toddling roots and get on the floor. I’m serious! Get on the floor and peep out what awaits their curious minds. Start looking at your space from the ground-up and find ways to creatively replace breakable and precious items with decor that is safe for your littles. All of our decorative glass lives out of reach of Camille, while other items like Binga baskets that hold things like our tv remotes are in Camille’s reach. It’s not because she can play with them, but they won’t harm her if she touches it, and they’re pretty sturdy. We’ve already removed our coffee table and replaced it with poofs which can still hold stuff (like Binga baskets). Change your perspective and understand that you can make small changes while you await your shipment of the following items. 😂
The ubiquitous baby gate
I thought that finding aesthetically-pleasing baby gates would be the most challenging thing to find, but that was not the case at all. I found SO MANY baby gates that I could live with. I’ve paired it down to three, so that the options aren’t terribly overwhelming.
Qdos Crystal Baby Safety Gate – Pressure Mounted
This gate seems to be the least visually intrusive, which is a win in my book! On the flip-side, I can foresee this getting a bit grimy with toddler hands constantly touching the glass.
Lascal Kiddyguard Avant, Retractable Baby Safety Gate
This is my fave. When it’s not in use, it’s nearly invisible. You can totally use this one-handedly, which I’m sure I don’t need to tell you is golden. This is my number one pick out of the three, because it’s so easy to hide. I just hope that the retractable mesh panel is sturdy enough to withhold a toddler as strong as mine.
Lindam Numi Aluminum Extending Safety Gate
Aside from its polished finish, one thing that I love about this gate is its weight … yep, the weight. It’s a little more than 14 pounds, which would make it challenging for a tot to move. It is not a pressure-mounted gate which leads me to believe that it’s pretty darn sturdy.
Worst of the worst: Knob covers
When taking into account, the hideousness of baby-proofing tools, knob covers are arguably the most unattractive of them all. I found a phenomenal replacement that is just as effective, and a lot less unsightly – Safety Innovations’ has a Child-proof Deluxe Door Top-Lock which locks the door from the top which is obviously out of reach of little hands.
Make sure that cat poop and your baby never meet face-to-face
One of my biggest fears is that Camille is going to wander into the bathroom and eat the cat’s poop. Something that I want to avoid it at all costs! Ugh. Violet, the cat, still needs to access her litter box, so what to do? As soon as I discovered the Enter the Door Buddy Lock & Foam Door Stopper, I ordered it. It has an adjustable strap that allows a cat to slip through to the litter box, and a foam door stopper that keeps the door open and prevents little-people pinches.
So basically, I have to uninstall and return all of the traditional baby-proofing stuff and re-order the aforementioned better looking lot 😂 😂. From what I’m told, this toddler stage doesn’t last forever, so let’s celebrate the milestones that our little ones are reaching! We can keep them safe, while making sure that our homes don’t suffer terribly by the changes that need to be made. Happy baby-proofing!!! 💕
