Baby proofing - is there such a thing as too much?

[marty]

Our 8 month old is *this* close to crawling so we are getting ready to baby proof our apartment.  My husband is fine with the outlet covers and cabinet locks, but less than enthusiastic about bolting furniture to the walls and baby-proofing all electrical devices (DVD, TV, computer cords, etc.).  He argues we have just one kid now and someone will be watching him all the time anyway.  What has been your experience with baby proofing?  Is there such a thing as baby proofing too much? 

One more question - any good recommendations for outlet covers?  I have arthritis so can't do anything to hard to pull out.

[speechie]

Hi Marty-
 We haven't bolted our furniture to the wall, but certainly if you've got tippy bookshelves, it may be wise to do so...
There are some outlet covers that are supposed to have sliding doors and are easier to use, so I hear,...I've just got the plain plastic ones...I suppose none of them are going to be fun w/arthritis, tho...
It's so hard to tell you what babyproofing you will need. I tend to teach my LO what not to touch and why. He was an early walker at 8 mos and soooo much stuff was in his reach and he was soooooooooooo persistant, it just became easier to have cabinets full of stuff on his level that he can mess with...

[MasynSpencerElliotte]

Hi Marty

I have the outlet covers that slide over (in their rooms so far) and they work great b.c as soon as they try to unplug anything it blocks them from sticking anything else in. It's just as easy to plug stuff in, you kind of push it over a bit with the plug itself. I suppose an industriuos kid would figure it out eventually, but mine can actually remove the plug covers!!!

I'd go for securing the large furniture that could tip, and maybe have one room completely babyproof - we have our family room proofed to the hilt so I can leave dd1 alone if I need to be with dd2. It's nice to have one area that's safe for her if I need  it and the rest of the house is somewhat babyproof, but not too much cause I want them to learn to leave things alone! (this may be a fantasy though!!)

Heidi

[marty]

OK, thanks for the tips!  Very helpful.

[Katet]

Honestly We did the outlet covers on the low obvious ones & put a cupboard lock on the sink cupboard & laundry cupboards that had chemicals in them, that was all. We never bolted furniture & in the 5years & 2 children I can't actually think of an accident that has happened inside the house... infact only "major" accident happened with ds1 at childcare when he split his tongue on the (supposedly) safe edge of a sand pit.
My youngest was an early mover at 5mo & he learnt to pull the covers off by about 18mo, We always had cupboards they could play in & say the one (at ground level) with my good china in well I'd sit & show them both it let them hold touch etc & the novelty was not there... my Sis did the same & her children have been the same, by contrast our 2 neices had the "very safe home" & BOY are they fiddle fingers, my 6yo neice goes around wanting to touch every thing & when she was 13mo they stayed for 2 weeks (my ds1 was 4mo) & they bought us 2 gates(which we never used) to make our house safe... she has had 3 stitches too.
So from my personal opinion you can over baby proof & research on child development is showing that over protective parenting is stunting fine & gross motor skills.

[aidliz]

In my opinoin it depends on your child.  I would do the oultlet covers and secure the cleaning cabinet and take anything away he could pull himself up on that isnt safe.  If your child is...like my dd, an adventurer you will have to do more.  My ds is older and we never had to worry, he didnt get into anything, when dd was mobile we had to secure everthing.  You know your child and do what you think is necessasary for him.

[Bryony]

I agree - I think it depends on your child. I also think you can over-baby proof - they won't learn otherwise! I know people who have put foam corners on all the tables and chairs etc and put soft foam on all the floors - but I would worry that my LO would never learn that running into the table is not good IYKWIM...

We have put a cupboard lock on the cupboard with the cleaning chemicals in, electric socket covers on the unused sockets and fixed the one wobbly book case to the wall, and put a stair gate at the top of the stairs (but not the bottom). Katie has learned that falling on our (hard) floors is not fun, and that she is not allowed to walk up the stairs without me, and is not allowed to go near the fireplace (it's never on when she's awake, but I want her to learn not to go near the fire anyway!)

We do have a play pen that she often plays in, and i have shut her in there once or twice if I've needed to do something and haven't been able to be aware of what she's doing

HTH

Bryony x