Your baby, your child – the most important thing in your life, protecting your child from potential hazards is foremost on your mind. The beginnings of all safety procedures and safety care for your child begins in the home. How can you protect your child? By using child equipment deemed safe for children, and using equipment for infants that are known, to put safety first for your child is how.
The furniture used for older children is not often the same furniture used for your youngest infants. Infants have special safety needs with products designed special for infants. If you are purchasing second hand child’s furniture or equipment, keep these ideas and points in mind for the safety of your child.
When searching for furniture for your child’s room, for the car or for when you are on the go, there are a few things that you should keep in mind. Is my child going to be safe in this piece of equipment or furniture? Does the manufacture provide use instructions and a help number for questions? Is anything going to break off and be swallowed by my child or is something going to break and allow my child to be hurt easily?
Be on the lookout for older equipment that your purchase second hand, sometimes these items are on recall lists, for safety reasons. If you have to fix something in order to put it to use for your child, you should not be using it at all.
One of the first things that many parents purchase for their child is a bath seat, bath ring or bath accessories. It is important that you look closely at the bath ring that you intend to purchase for your child. Does it have suction cups that attach to the sides of the tub? Even though bath rings are a helpful item, you should remember that they are never a substitute for a parent being on hand while the baby is taking a bath. Purchase of a bath ring is not a necessity because a parent must be there on hand at all times, but they are nice to use to set the baby up while you wash the baby.
Bassinets are a must have for the parent with a bigger house. The bassinet is a smaller bed that you can put the baby down for a little nap when you do not want to walk the way to the bedroom where the crib is. Safety in the bassinet is important, just as it is for other equipment that you use for your child.
A bassinet should have a very sturdy bottom where the child lays, and the bottom of the bassinet should be wide on the floor for stability in case the child moves. The legs should lock, so that there is very little chance the bassinet will fall or move. The mattress should be firm and fill in the bassinet completely leaving no space between the mattress and the sides of the bassinet for the best protection.
Changing tables are very handy when children are small and toddler age, but you have to be careful when choosing a changing table that you are going to put in the nursery as well. A changing table should have some type of straps so the baby can’t roll off. A changing table should also have sides, some type of sides, so that if the baby does happen to push something off you have an extra second to grab it or even the baby itself. A changing table is used so you can easily change the babies clothes of diapers without making a mess in the crib or having to get down on the floor, but you should always remember never to leave the baby on the table and walk away or ever turn your back.
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