Thursday, October 12, 2006

Taking Baby Proofing to a New Level

So way back when Miss A started crawling around we did some basic baby proofing. You know, outlet covers and putting unsafe stuff up out of reach. That seemed to do the trick. Sure she still managed to get into stuff but nothing really dangerous. The worst part of it all was having to tidy up whatever she'd gotten into.

Since she started walking three months ago the amount of trouble she can get into has been getting progressively worse. Somethings that stand out from those early days are finding her splashing in the toilet (yuk!) and discovering her in her room with bum cream all over her.



When we first brought her home from the hospital I remember cursing my love of older homes. Our hardwood floors are ridiculously creaky and often woke her up when we were on her way to put her into bed. Soon we all got used to the creaky floors. Now I have a new disdain for our home. Our cupboards are very... hmmm... what's the word? Cheap? Crappy? Either would do. I have a dream to replace them someday but for now, for now they'll have to do. The thing about these awful cupboards is that regular old baby proofy gadgets don't attach properly. So we've had to get creative.





So far they seem to be working well. It makes life a whole lot easier not having Miss A constantly hauling out everything from the cupboards. I know, how unfair of me. I do let her play with pots and pans sometimes but the problem is she has more fun just getting everything out than actually playing with any of it. And quite frankly, I find it exhausting.

Since she is rather tall for her age she can reach up to tables and to our desks. We have to make sure we don't leave anything near the edges or she'll pull them down. We had a Brita incident a couple of weeks ago. Water everywhere.

There are still some things that I haven't been able to find locks for. One being the garbage can. This is a necessity I think. She often goes into the garbage which I find totally disgusting and I tell her so. She could care less. She also enjoys throwing things such as toys or clothing into the garbage. The other day she threw one of her Dada's computer discs in. Luckily it was washable. I have tried teaching her to stay out but so far it hasn't worked. It just ends up being a lot of work for me washing the stuff that she throws in there.

A few different people have informed me lately that they didn't baby proof anything. They just taught their kids not to get into anything. To them I say “How nice for you.” I however seem not to possess the skills to do this. Or I have a more strong willed child. Or I'm lazy. In any case I find it easier to baby proof than to constantly be cleaning up the aftermath.

I think that all of you Mamas out there know that our husbands have a different “way” with the kids. I also know that Miss A seems to give her Dada a harder time with some things than she gives me. Example: Diaper Changes. She is not an easy kid for either of us to change but for some reason she seems to save up all her fighting strength for him. The same goes with stuff she shouldn't be getting into. She'll often get into way more trouble while he's looking after her. Because I work part time this means that I often come home to a very frustrated and exhausted Dada and a house than has that “lived in look”. Last night was the first time I've worked since some of the new baby proofing measures have been in place. Things were much more under control here and Dada seemed to be in rather a good mood. I think that's a good sign.



Maybe I'm whining. I'm sure all kids get into this much stuff. It's just new to me. I'm posting a list of the things she's been getting into. I may have forgotten some stuff. Let me know if your little angels have gotten into anything more interesting.

List of things Miss A gets into:

The CD/DVD drawer on the computer (we've added a locking code on our desktop)
our desks
tables
Drawers
cupboards
the garbages
bum cream
the toilet
The laundry
Our bedside tables
The cat food
The cat water

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

I'm already thinking of things that need to get done to baby proof our house. Cam even mentioned that we'll have to move the cat food and water to another location if we don't want the baby to get into it. I can't convince my cats to stay out of cupboards so I doubt I'll have more luck with a toddler!

Mall Worker said...

I have a baby gate cutting off access to my Kitchen because I didn't even want to try to deal with baby proofing that room. Its worked wonders for me but I'm dreading having to take it down and teach him all the "nonos" in there.

Boo's gotten into the toilet, his wipes, his diapers, anything and everything he can reach, our desks, filing cabnit and dvd rack. I understand the furstration.

this single spark said...

When I was growing up, our little next door neighbor was often found munching out of the cat bowl we left on the front step. Still grosses me out to think of it, but if it makes you feel any better, she turned out fine. :]

bon said...

Had a girl friend with five kiddos, and she did the whole "I just taught them not to get into things."
HA!
Except for her fifth child... then she had to baby proof and EVERYTHING proof.
Again... it's not very gracious of me, but HA!

She had kept this amazingly lovely and intricate Christmas Popup book under her tree her entire married life, through all of her kids till five. It did not last two hot seconds with number five... as I have been blessed with three... count them THREE Chaos Girls, I am lacking in the sympathy department.

bon said...

HA!

beth said...

Let me know if you figure out the trash can problem. I found the remote in there yesterday.

Dawnyel said...

I'm exhausted just reading this! What works for other moms doesn't work for ALL moms. I really had no need to baby proof...I tried to keep on top of Cameron, telling him not to get into stuff, and teaching him along the way...BUT he's nowhere near as adventurous as your darling baby A is. If finding ways to babyproof works for you, then do it! Maybe you can invent a garbage lock that will make you JILLIONS of dollars! :)
I do have to admit that her getting into the bum cream was quite cute...and I laughed...sorry!
Right now I can't think of anything that he really got into that was disgusting or agrivating...hmmm....is this mother nature's way of making it so we want other kids? Forgetting the past mistakes of our current ones? Hmmm....