Everything in our house is dangerous

I didn't know there could be so many potentially dangerous things in a house for a baby. Of course there is the obvious stuff like cleaning fluids under the sink, sharp objects, loose buttons. Arwen has just dicovered that she can open cupboard doors and drawers, and this has opened up a whole new world of dangerous stuff. She had been content with banging her head on the floor/ door/ wall/ metal radiator but now there's more...

For example before we were being careful to put our shoes away in the hall cupboard so that she wouldn't get hold of them for a wee taste-and-chew, but now she can open that....

She could already seek out the remote control from wherever we had hidden it (meaning we usually can't find it ourselves and watch a lot more babytv than we would like). Now she finds it, pulls the back off and bashes it on the floor till the batteries fall out. You can guess what happens after that...

She always wants whatever is just out of reach, especially plates of food, cups of tea and glasses of water, telephones, anything she shouldn't have really...

Currently sporting a bit of a brusied cheek from an encounter with a chair and a drawer (at same time!) :O(

According to a website I found, these are some of the things we should be doing:

1. Take a new look at your house from your baby’s level and clear all surfaces at or below your chest. There's a LOT of stuff at that level...


2. Install rubber stoppers for the top of doors, so they only close a bit and baby’s little fingers won't get pinched but remove the rubber tips so baby doesn't choke on them. Lucky we can't get these here then, sounds like it's more dangerous than the door! I think we'll go for number 9 on the list instead.


3. Use plug covers that look like an outlet, but have to be twisted to work. Duct tape?


4. Install magnetic cabinet and drawer locks, which are trickier for little ones to learn to open. Duct tape?


5. Use a mesh gate because baby is less likely to get hurt and it works well for large doorways. Sounds like a good idea... where can I get one of these?


6. Doorknob covers stop your toddler from being able to open the door and run out.


7. Install a deadbolt or chain at the top of exterior doors, so your toddler doesn't open the door and run out. This seems to be a popular activity this opening the door and running out!


8. Use a toilet lid lock. Enough said! I think we'll just be keeping the bathroom door closed fullstop- there's a whole lot of danger-stuff in there...


9. Drape a cloth diaper over the door top to keep baby from getting hurt, shutting the door.


10. Install cover guards for sharp table corners. Luckily we have a soft edged leather-covered coffee table thing or there would be a whole lot more bruises by now...


11. Use a TV guard to stop TV play. It covers all the controls. mmmmm


12. Visually inspect the floor for small objects every time you enter a room. I do, there are a lot...


13. Remember, if they aren't meant to have it, they'll want it, so move it! Why is this?? She has a lot of lovely toys that should be 100 times more interesting than some skanky old computer cable/ dustbunny from behind couch/ any piece of paper-magazine-newspaper/ radiator knob with flaky paint...


14. And, on a less serious note: Eat all the chocolate that comes into the house. It's not good for your baby’s health. I liked this idea by far the best! :) I am implementing regularly...

My Mother-in-Law says Allah protects all babies- Inşallah! :O) Hope someone is!!!