WFH Tips You Actually Need from Baby Proof Experts and KidCo
Has your living room become your conference room? Is the kitchen table now a workstation? So many of us have been forced to designate a corner of our den, living room, kitchen or bedroom to work. If you have little ones, the area where we are now working has become an additional space where constant supervision is needed.
For parents of small children, it’s time to baby proof this newly created space. Baby proofing is a ritual we all have to go through when our little ones get mobile and working from home the past few weeks has put this on the top of many parents’ lists. Don’t learn the hard way with staples in fingers, bruises on heads, or worse.
Below are suggestions from expert baby proofers at Child Safe Childproofing and KidCo, the brand known for its high quality line of baby gates, baby proofing and travel products.
Check Those Wires and Electronics
Putting electronics out of reach of children can reduce the risk of kids getting hurt or damaging expensive equipment. When setting up electronics, ensure that all wires are no longer than six inches. Consider wrapping them with electrical tape or Velcro ties. Use an outlet cover box to avoid exposed outlets should something come unplugged. Be sure to keep charging plugs out of reach.
You never know when little fingers will touch your keyboard or mouse. Very young children have become extremely adept at finding YouTube and watching their favorite videos. Putting a password on to your computer is the easiest way to ensure your child does not “edit” any documents or visit any unsafe sites. You may want to put your tablet in child safe mode if you haven’t done that already.
Watch Out for Small Items
Keep all small items off your desk. Here’s a handy tip – anything that can fit in a toilet paper roll is a potential choking hazard. KidCo’s small object tester is also an easy and effective way to protect children from choking hazards. Parents can place the item they are questioning if it poses a choking hazard to their child into the small parts tester. If the lid is able to fully close then it is considered a small part and could pose a choking hazard.
Ensure cabinet doors cannot open with easy to install locking mechanisms.
Secure TVs or Furniture to the Wall
Fall hazards are one of the most common, and most deadly, dangers for children inside the home. Bookcases can be extremely dangerous if not secured to a wall. New or moved furniture (i.e. a television) should be anchored to avoid tipping with anti-tip furniture straps.
Even if your little one is just starting to move around, before you know it they will be trying to grab and climb. Consider that in the near future that your child might try to scale a bookcase or table to reach an item that has been placed high up. Also, newer flat screen monitors and televisions, are lighter weight and are easier to pull off and can still cause injury to a child.
Section Off Spaces
No one can possibly watch a child for every single moment of the day, but there are steps parents can take to make working from home spaces safer. Baby gates have come a long way in terms of style and ease of use. Be sure your stairs are gated top and bottom, and don’t use a pressure-style gate at the top. For the top of the stairs use a screw-into-the-wall version which is more secure.
Consider blocking entry to your work space with easy to install gates for your doorway. Or create a designated play area with moveable gates. We’ve seen parents that have created a gated area around them in their living room so that kids can have their play space while the office area is protected. (Buy, Buy, Baby or Target)
Multitasking
Many working parents are now taking on tasks that had been done with an army of babysitters, day care centers, and cleaning crews. Now so much of this has stopped, the ability to multitask has been put to new levels of efficiency and often frustration. Some of the best tips that we’ve also found from parents is to try and stress less and set new expectations under these new conditions. Parents have found ways to cope with a variety of products and tips that range from baby carriers to activity seats.
Keep little ones happy, safe, and occupied in an activity seat. The GoPod Plus Activity Seat is one of our favorite products that helps you with multitasking chores, exercise, or helping older children with schoolwork and their needs. Travel products can be repurposed for keeping kids occupied and are often easy to open and close for storage.
The KidCo TravelPod is a portable play yard that provides a safe and comfortable environment for children between the ages of birth and three years. It can be set-up easily in any room of your home which has been turned into a home office.
It’s a challenge to keep kids in check and work under control, but with a few easy steps and a bit of planning you can spend some memorable time with little ones that might have otherwise been spent commuting or working late.
