[blparent] Tips on Baby/child proofing your home

Wed Feb 24 05:22:50 UTC 2010

And when you invest in a deadbolt for the front door they open the latch and
go out the sliding glass door and out the side gate. The bad thing about
hiring someone else to child proof your home is you still don't know if they
did the right things and what if the social workers ask, "why not this or
that?"  Ok, maybe it would be a good idea if you are part of the proofing- I
want to be part of everything that concerns my child.   

-----Original Message-----
From: blparent-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blparent-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
Behalf Of Dena Wainwright
Sent: Tuesday, February 23, 2010 6:12 PM
To: NFBnet Blind Parents Mailing List
Subject: Re: [blparent] Tips on Baby/child proofing your home

If you are going through the process of an adoption, then I would seriously 
consider having someone who knows how to baby proof assess your home. I 
imagine that there are enough obstacles for a blind person adopting as it 
is, and I certainly wouldn't want to risk some uppedy social worker 
conducting my home study deciding that I was incapable of taking care of a 
child safely, just because I missed a cupboard or toilet lock.

Without knowing what your house is like, it is impossible to make 
appropriate recommendations. What kind of doors do you have? How low to the 
floor are your windows? What kinds of cupboards and drawers do you have? 
Etc., etc.

This person doesn't need to be an "expert," though if that's all you have 
access to, I'd consider it a good investment. You could simply ask a friend 
who is a parent with toddler-aged kids to help you. Baby proofing really is 
a work in progress - just when you think you're done, you're not. Children 
develop so rapidly, that their skillsets (and thus their potential to damage

themselves) literally evolve daily. E.g., my daughter has had a bookcase in 
her room for the last 17 months. Having it there was just fine...until about

2 weeks ago. I left her in her "baby proofed" bedroom for 3 minutes to take 
a pee. All of the drawers and cupboards are locked, all of the corners are 
padded, all of the wall sockets are covered, all of the blind cords are 
retracted, etc. When I returned from my brief absence, she was making very 
happy noises from a very unfamiliar location... That location was her 
bookcase (She was literally curled up in one of the shelves, proud as punch 
of herself). That was the moment I had to turn the bookcase toward the wall 
so the shelves were no longer accessible to her. Eventually, she'll have the

cognitive sense to realize that just because she can do something, doesn't 
mean she should, but for now, I refer to this stage of her development as 
the "trying to remove myself from the gene pool" phase.

Also, you don't know what kind of kid you're going to have, so no matter how

carefully you try to plan, you will not be prepared in every instance. You 
may spend a ton of money on a crib, only to learn that your child has to be 
touching you to sleep. You may go out and buy a bouncy seat, and forget 
about a swing, only to learn that your child hates his bouncy seat, and will

only sit quietly while swinging. You may strap down every piece of furniture

in your house, and then be fortunate enough to have a child who has no 
desire to climb. Also, until you're living with a child, you have no idea of

the lengths they will go to in order to kill themselves. You really do have 
to think in worst case scenarios. E.g., I have a lock on my drier. My baby 
doesn't have access to my drier, because it is separated from the house by a

pocket door. However, I don't want to wait until the day she learns how to 
open that door, and climbs inside the drier, and suffocates herself, to 
realize I should have gotten that lock. You may be thinking "That would 
never happen to me. I would watch my kid better than that..." All I have to 
say to that is "Ya think so?" My sighted husband makes just as many "errors"

as I do when it comes to baby proofing issues. They can move faster (and 
quieter) than you ever believed possible.

What I'm saying is that knowledge is a good thing, but it can't compare to 
real world practice.

Dena

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Miranda Borka" <knownoflove at gmail.com>
To: "NFBnet Blind Parents Mailing List" <blparent at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Tuesday, February 23, 2010 4:22 PM
Subject: Re: [blparent] Tips on Baby/child proofing your home

> Hi Veronica,
> I'm ~ot sure if you've seen this, but in previous messages I've posted to 
> the list I explained that my husband and I are in the process of adoption.

> We will be adopting a child between the ages of 0-3 years old.
> Therefore, we may need to child proof our home sooner than a parent who 
> has a child naturally, as we don't yet know the age our child will be. 
> This is why I am planning ahead.
> Thanks for the info, and yes I am blessed to have this group! My husband 
> and I truly appreciate all the great advice and resources you all have 
> provided thus far!
>
> In Christ, Miranda
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Veronica Smith <madison_tewe at spinn.net>
> Sent: Tuesday, February 23, 2010 2:28 PM
> To: 'NFBnet Blind Parents Mailing List' <blparent at nfbnet.org>
> Subject: Re: [blparent] Tips on Baby/child proofing your home
>
> Even if you had the money, don't waste it there.  Just common sense is
> needed.  You don't  need to do anythihg until your child is mobile, able 
> to
> stand or crawl. Then a must is cover those outlets.  You can buy outlet
> covers just about anywhere and keep them covered unless you need that 
> spot.
> Baby proof as your child grows. No glass that can break when grabbed, no
> sharp things to play with, no little papers and toys to eat, no cords to
> pull or chew. No curtains that they can tie around neck,  no pictures to
> fall off the wall on the heads.
> Don't worry about it until you have to.  V
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: blparent-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blparent-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
> Behalf Of Miranda Borka
> Sent: Tuesday, February 23, 2010 3:29 AM
> To: Blind Parents
> Subject: [blparent] Tips on Baby/child proofing your home
>
> Hi,
> We're gathering information on what we can do to baby/childproof our home.
> We're looking for information for children between 0-3 years of age.
> Since we don't have the $300.00 or more for a babyproofing expert to come
> and evaluate our home, we're wondering if any of you have any tips and
> experiences of what does or doesn't work?
> Thanks in advance, and have a great day!
>
> In Christ, Miranda
>
> _______________________________________________
> blparent mailing list
> blparent at nfbnet.org
> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blparent_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
> blparent:
>
http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blparent_nfbnet.org/madison_tewe%40spi
> nn.net
>
> No virus found in this incoming message.
> Checked by AVG - www.avg.com
> Version: 9.0.733 / Virus Database: 271.1.1/2705 - Release Date: 02/23/10
> 00:34:00
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> blparent mailing list
> blparent at nfbnet.org
> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blparent_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for 
> blparent:
>
http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blparent_nfbnet.org/knownoflove%40gmai
l.com
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> blparent mailing list
> blparent at nfbnet.org
> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blparent_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for 
> blparent:
>
http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blparent_nfbnet.org/dena%40envogueacce
ss.com 

_______________________________________________
blparent mailing list
blparent at nfbnet.org
http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blparent_nfbnet.org
To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
blparent:
http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blparent_nfbnet.org/madison_tewe%40spi
nn.net

No virus found in this incoming message.
Checked by AVG - www.avg.com 
Version: 9.0.733 / Virus Database: 271.1.1/2705 - Release Date: 02/23/10
00:34:00