Working Momma Diaries: Toddler Safety

I’m all about baby proofing. But I’m also always on a time crunch. I tried to nail in cabinet catchers and cursed like a sailor. and ended up throwing them away and buying something new. So today I’m sharing the affordable, fast and realistic baby and toddler proofing gadgets a working momma should not have to live without! As a working momma who sometimes is typing emails with a baby playing - or rather babbling loudly and smashing pots and pans together - in a playroom next to me, it's important for me to know that my kiddo is as safe as possible when my eyes are averted.

Here's a few quick tips on how to make your home as baby - or toddler - proof as possible.

1) Regalo Baby Gate: Creating a safe playroom starts with marking off a space. Regalo baby is choice when it comes to baby gates. They have dark bronze and white colored gates that fit any space in your house. AND even if you buy them separately, they can all connect to each other to gate off a bigger space OR be taken apart to gate a smaller space. Further, while some are best to bolt in the wall, the pressure hold gate I linked below DOES NOT LEAVE ANY MARKS on my walls. It means I don't have to drill into my newly paint and refurbished doorframes. YASSSS SISTER!

2) Visibility & Distance to Baby: Sometimes in the evenings I have to complete emails or other work I didn't get to in the day because I opted to spend a little more time with Addie while she was awake, or maybe I went to her holiday party that day. During those times, I put her into her 'playroom' which is a super toddler-proofed space where she can bop around, play make-believe and have a grand time. We chose a room that was just off of the kitchen and living room because you can see into it from almost every angle of the house and it's in the center and easy to get to. I did this so that while I'm working at the breakfast bar, kitchen table, or even couches folding laundry, I can easily see my babe and know she is OK. When I leave the room, I can also check in on her from the baby monitor we have posted in the room. I have a monitor in our bedroom / bathroom and the study so we can always check in.

3) Remove Choking Hazards: This seems self-explanatory, but sometimes the silliest things can be the most dangerous to our kiddos, even if our eyes dart away for a few seconds. Be careful with what snacks, plastics, or small toys you leave in the playroom with your babe when you're not around. Kiddos love putting things in their mouths and while goldfish may be delicious, if you're not there and it goes down the wrong pipe, your afternoon could go in a direction you don't want. So make a quick sweep of the playroom or safe space you put your kiddo in for anything you don't want them to access without your immediate supervision and put it away, at least until you can focus.

4) Put your Office in your Playroom: This sounds ridiculous, but why not make a playroom a safe space for you and your little to work hard and play hard at the same time? To do so, I recommend putting a light-weight desk, anchored to the wall, with a light weight chair in the corner of your playroom. Make sure to get outlet and electrical chord covers and furniture corner protectors to prevent your little from pulling out chords or jumping their heads on your desk. Joss and Main has some adorable desks on sale this week with an extra 20% off with code “stars”!

5) The Hidden Babyproofing: so maybe I’m OCD about baby proofing and I’ll admit my house may also be adult proof, but I’ll share what I’ve done in case you feel the same way. I also baby/toddler proof my wine fridge, my freezer, and my toilets. I did the wine fridge so wine doesn’t get pulled out, the freezer because my daughter LOVE to take everything out of it and I was too tired to keep bending down in pencil skirts at 6am, and my toilets because I read that babies can drown in 1 in of water and my spider monkey likes to put her hands into the toilet and I’m too scared she’d reach too far and fall in one day. I also use these on the trash cans cause lord knows I don’t want her hands in it My husband laughs because the toilet baby proofed I use is not very adult friendly but I retort “that means it’s toddler proof!!”