Also, make sure pools are fenced in and secured. Empty kiddie pools and water play areas. ■ Keep exploring safe: Teach basic safety like staying away from ovens, not touching outlets, and gentle pet interaction. Bonus Safety Tips for All Ages No matter how old your baby is, a few safety strategies apply across the board. Having a plan, staying calm, and trusting your instincts can help you respond to the unexpected with confidence. ■ Know emergency numbers: Have pediatrician, poison control, and emergency contacts saved in your phone and posted somewhere visible. ■ Take an infant CPR class: This can be life-saving knowledge—and help you feel more confident. ■ Trust your gut: If something feels off, ask questions, call your pediatrician, or get a second opinion.
cabinets, and anything they can pull up on. Creating safe zones and being consistent with boundaries helps your baby explore while keeping risks low. ■ Babyproof at their level: Get on your hands and knees to spot sharp corners, cords, and breakables within reach. ■ Lock it up: Use cabinet locks for anything with cleaning products, medicine, or sharp tools. ■ Gate it off: Use baby gates at the top and bottom of stairs and block off rooms you don’t want baby entering solo. Toddling & Beyond (12 Months+) With a little more independence comes new safety concerns. Toddlers are climbers, explorers, and fast movers, so your job becomes anticipating risks and teaching basic safety skills along the way. ■ Strap it down: Secure dressers, bookshelves, and other climbable furniture to the wall to prevent tip-overs. ■ Watch for water: Drowning can happen in just inches of water—never leave a toddler unattended near tubs, toilets, or buckets.
hospitals offer free checks. ■ Avoid overheating: Dress baby in one more layer than you would wear and skip thick blankets. Infant Stage (3–6 Months): Reaching & Rolling Your little one is starting to move—maybe rolling, grabbing, or sitting with support. That curiosity leads to new risks. It’s time to reassess your surroundings and stay a step ahead of their growing mobility and curiosity. ■ Keep small objects out of reach: Any- thing that fits through a toilet paper roll is a choking hazard. ■ Update floor safety: Babies will soon start rolling! Keep floors clean and clear of haz- ards like coins, batteries, or small toys from older siblings. ■ Check baby gear weight limits: Swings, bouncers, and carriers all have age and weight guidelines—don’t exceed them. Mobile Baby (6–12 Months): Crawlers & Cruisers Once your baby is on the move, everything becomes fair game. Crawlers love cords,
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