Kids playing in living room

Creating a Safe Home for Babies & Toddlers

August 14, 2024 General /Family

Babies and toddlers are curious and love to explore, so it’s important for parents to make home a safe place to learn and play.

Sadly, accidents are the leading cause of death for children ages 1 to 14.1

Help keep your little ones safe, both indoors and outdoors, as they grow more independent. Create a safer environment for your child with these easy steps:

Babies and toddlers are curious and love to explore, so it’s important for parents to make home a safe place to learn and play.

Sadly, accidents are the leading cause of death for children ages 1 to 14.1

Help keep your little ones safe, both indoors and outdoors, as they grow more independent. Create a safer environment for your child with these easy steps:

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Get a good view

  • Get down on your hands and knees and look around each room in your home. This can help you spot things that your baby might reach for or find interesting.

Follow Some Baby Proofing Basics:

  • Cover electrical outlets and tuck away cords behind furniture.
  • Secure heavy furniture, like bookshelves and dressers, to the wall to prevent them from tipping over.
  • Remove clutter and keep sharp corners covered or padded.
  • Use safety gates to block stairs and rooms that are not safe for children.
  • Create barriers around fireplaces and wood-burning stoves.
  • Use toilet seat latches and never leave a child alone in the bathtub.
  • Keep children away from the kitchen stove, turn pot and pan handles inward, and store sharp objects out of reach.
  • Store cleaning products, medicines, and other harmful items in a locked cabinet.
  • Keep small items like batteries and magnets away from children.
  • Lower the water heater temperature to prevent burns.

Sleeping Safe

  • Make sure your child’s sleep environment is safe and appropriate for their age.
  • Remember the A, B, Cs of SAFE SLEEP for your baby’s first year:

ALONE – no blankets, pillows, toys, or other objects near your baby.

BACK – babies breathe easier and sleep better on their back.

CRIB – sharing a bed isn’t safe; babies need their own safe space.

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Don’t forget your ABC’s!
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Outside Safety

  • Lock doors and windows and use alarms to prevent children from wandering outside unsupervised.
  • If you have a pool, install proper fencing and alarms. Never leave a child alone near water.
  • Everyone over the age of 6 months needs sun protection. Choose a sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or higher. Babies younger than 6 months should stay out of the sun.2
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Be Prepared for Emergencies

  • Teach your children about safety and how to recognize and avoid dangers.
  • Show them how to call 911 and what to do in case of a fire.
  • Make sure smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors are working.
  • Keep the Poison Control number handy (1-800-222-1222)
  • Consider learning basic first aid and CPR. Many local fire departments offer free classes.
By following these steps, you can make your home a safer place for your child to grow and explore. Remember, keeping an eye on your children, setting rules, and teaching them about safety, will all help to prevent accidents and injuries. Creating a safe environment for your baby takes work, but preventing an accident is well worth the effort to keep your little ones safe and healthy!

Need more info or resources? Check out:

REFERENCES:

1) Injuries and Violence Are Leading Causes of Death, CDC:
https://www.cdc.gov/injury/wisqars/animated-leading-causes.html
2) Sunscreen FAQs, American Academy of Dermatology:
https://www.aad.org/media/stats-sunscreen#

Feeding a 6-7 Month Old

Feed solids with a spoon and from a bowl, never from a bottle.

Feeding a 10-12 Month Old

Breast milk is the most important source of nutrition for your baby, even after you start offering solid foods.

Feeding a 8-9 Month Old

Feed solids with a spoon. Never put cereal in a bottle.

Tips

Mom new born home

Breast milk and formula feeding:

Around 2-3 weeks, 6 weeks, 3 months, and 6 months of age, babies may experience a growth spurt when they feed more often.

As they grow babies can hold more milk, so feedings may become further apart and take less time.

To prevent choking, always hold your baby when feeding. Never prop up a bottle to feed.

Start offering whole milk when your baby is one year old.

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months and that breastfeeding continue for at least 12 months and beyond.

feeding solid foods

Feeding solid foods:

Wait to offer solid foods until your baby:

  • Can sit up and hold up their own head.
  • Opens their mouth when they see food.
  • Can close their lips around a spoon.

To prevent choking, always hold your baby when feeding. Never prop up a bottle to feed.

Try one new food at a time. Wait 5 days before trying another new food to watch for allergies. Food allergies may include wheezing, rash, or diarrhea.

Introduce peanut butter around 6 months. Spread a small, thin smear of peanut butter or nut butter thinly on a cracker.  Watch your baby for any reaction for the next 2 hours.

Babies under one year should NOT have honey due to the risk of botulism. Also, babies should not have foods that can cause choking like nuts or whole grapes.

All babies are different. Talk with WIC or your baby’s healthcare provider about your baby’s needs.

Feeding Cues

Feeding a 4-5 Month Old

Before teeth come in, wipe gums with a soft, clean wash cloth after each feeding, especially before bed.

Feeding a 0-3 Month Old

Newborns have tiny tummies and need to be fed often. In the first few weeks, you may need to wake your baby to feed if they sleep longer than 4 hours.

Growth Spurts

Many babies are fussy during a growth spurt and will want to nurse longer and more often. This is called cluster feeding. This is your baby’s way of helping you increase your milk supply so that you can keep up with their needs. Remember, the more your baby nurses, the more milk your body makes.

Growth spurts can happen at any time, and every baby is different.

They often happen at these ages:

two-three-weeks

2 to 3 Weeks

6 Weeks

three-months

3 Months

six-months

6 Months

What foods can I get?

Authorized Food List
Authorized Food List

Where can I shop?