Stylish Childproofing Tips and Tricks
Childproofing… I don’t know about you, but before I had my first baby that word was extremely intimidating on so many levels. You mean to tell me that these little humans come out of us and actually think its okay to stick a metal piece of something in to an outlet???
The whole pressure of figuring out what they may one day get in to and how to prevent was a lot for a new mommy. Shoot… Its a lot for all moms because it changes yearly. Yep. Even my 4 year old needs childproofing (my makeup bag has GOT to find a new home out of her reach). And yet another fun tidbit about childproofing is… it is normally UGLY. Once beautiful coffee tables are now saran wrapped in pillows and cabinets are covered in bulky locks. The once stylish cased openings in between rooms are now the new home to a baby gate that even you can’t get in and out of.
Well sweet momma, I have great news. Not all childproofing has to be UGLY. In fact, sometimes you don’t even have to see it. And the best part is, sometimes you can make it look like it was a part of the design all along. We can’t cover all childproofing in this post, but I do want to go over the basics that I deal with often for my clients that have kiddos and still want an attractive house that doesn’t scream “HELP ME!”
Coffee Tables
This one may be pretty obvious, but coffee tables can be very dangerous when you have small children. In fact, coffee table injuries make up 1/4 of the total emergency room accident related visits for children under the age of 5. This can easily be resolved by focusing on the shape and material of your coffee table. Over-sized ottomans make excellent coffee tables and if you add a tray on top you won’t even lack a sturdy surface to set your glass down. If the thought of fabric and your play dough obsessed child makes you cringe, focus on the shape of your coffee table. Oval or circular shaped coffee tables lack the sharp pointy edges, making them much more kid friendly. Last but not least, avoid a glass coffee table. Not only are they a pain to keep clean with sticky little fingers, but they are the most dangerous type of coffee table you can purchase when you have small children.
Design by Lauren Lambrecht
Blinds:
Blinds were not on my radar as a part of child proofing when my oldest became a curious toddler. All it took was one time of her playing with the long cord coming from our blinds and I quickly realized I needed to implement change throughout our home. I swapped out our standard blinds for these amazing cordless woven shades. They work like a dream and there are no cords to get tangled up in! You can use them alone or you can layer them with draperies to give the space even more character, and the best part is, you don’t have anything hanging down to be mindful of.
The Cabinet Lock I Can’t Live Without:
When we childproofed our home we used the first cabinet lock that was recommended to us. It definitely did its job and currently still is doing its job on several cabinets around my home. I honestly haven’t taken it off because I am so worried it is going to take off the finish of my cabinets! That’s why when I got new cabinetry added to a couple of rooms I searched for a childs lock that couldn’t be seen and DEFINITELY wouldn’t be messing up my cabinetry. That is why I absolutely love this magnetic cabinet lock by Jambini that I purchased off Amazon! It is a breeze to install and doesn’t even require a drill! The only thing I will say about it is you have to keep up with your magnetic key. I keep mine in the same place every time so that I can’t accidentally misplace it. My knife drawer is now completely off limits to my curious children and no one can tell its childproof!
The “Help! I have BOYS!” lamp trick:
Last but not least, this is one of my favorite tips to date. I learned this gem of information from my client who has small rambunctious children that broke one of her favorite expensive lamps. She mourned the loss of her lamp and swore to herself no more lamp lives would be lost at the tiny hands of her little humans. So when I designed a new sitting area for her off of her kitchen and had a fun new lamp on a side table between two of her chairs, she informed me that she would be putting the command strip velcro under the lamp base to attach it to the table. Such a simple solution to such a prevalent problem! Now this tip will not stop a very VERY determined child that is actually seeking to harm the lamp, but it will definitely protect the lamp from those quick accidental bumps that happen every time your child passes the table. I also use this trick to allow me to have lamps on the same dresser as my baby’s changing pad! So thankful my client spoke up about this tip and glad I can share with all of you!
Well… That wraps up my first post as your Interiors contributor! I hope you learned that you don’t have to sacrifice style for a home that functions for your little family! For more fun tips and a lot of design projects click the link below to check out my blog and follow me on Instagram!
Head over to Cait Waite Designs for more design inspiration and make sure to follow her on Instagram!
