Ds 2 is six months old and now crawling pulling up and cruising. He's even bridging gaps say between the sofa and the coffee table. My older son was still only at an army crawl at this age and seemed sturdier and less distract able (as babies go) when he took to crawling cruising and walking.
Are special precautions warranted? Hubs thought a quilted helmet might be a good idea.
Thanks
F. B.
i baby proffed when ds starated walking (at 9 mos.) i put the coffee table in my room (it was on wheels and not safe for baby to use for stability) and babygated to keep him in the childproofed areas of the house. and like B said, i got down and searched for anything that could be pulled down, slammed, knocked over, or toppled by a climbing child and made it safe.
Mine was on his feet independently at 8 months. I think new walkers/cruisers face the same risks no matter the age actually. I'd say corner guards on coffee/end tables, entertainment stands and the fireplace hearth (if you have one). Venetian blind cords and electrical cords, of course. And assume that he will climb sooner than you think possible.
Kids' heads are remarkably well padded with bone. They don't fall that far even when they tip over, so damage is limited. I think there is greater danger to the softer tissues, like eyes. I'm not sure a helmet would help much - a hard one might make him top-heavy and a quilted one wouldn't provide all that much cushioning. It's more likely to give your husband a false sense of security. Sorry, but the way kids learn is when things backfire and they get a little bit hurt.
Do what you do with any child - get down at their level and look around. I'd also look into one of those gated pens (bigger than a play pen) that gives them some room to move around. They can usually be configured in a variety of shapes to fit in your available room.
Good ideas below.
Also if you have any stairs you need strong gates at top AND bottom -- a child can crawl or cruise up from the bottom and fall back down, so a gate only at the top isn't enough if your child is ever downstairs. I watched in horror as a visiting kid fell backward down stairs in our home when we had only a top gate and he sped up the stairs from the bottom before an adult could rush over to him! He was OK but it could have been horrible. We gated the bottom of the staircase the next day.
Also please heed the mention below of tip over dangers. Anchor chests of drawers, bookcases and TVs to the wall! Read up on tip over injuries and you'll see how many babies and kids get hurt each year this way as they pull up on or climb on things.
Last advice is--the push-type walking toys are fine but I would not use "walkers," those sling-seats-on-wheels that let babies scoot all over the place on their own. Our pediatrician was adamant that these don't really "teach walking" but do get kids hurt and give parents a false sense of security.
My 2nd also walked much sooner - trying to keep up with older brother was my theory. I put the sticky pads on the edges of the hearth and used gates to keep him out of the kitchen and off the stairs. That was it. I don't have a coffee table, if I did I might have moved that.
Awwww, he's growing so quickly. I would make sure his area is padded and sharp edges have some of that rounded edge stuff on it. Edges can sure make some dents in the head and face.
Just childproof as you would when any baby gets mobile.
Get down on the floor and see things from their eye level.
Watch out for things that could get pulled down (table clothes) and fall on them.
Watch out for electrical cords and power outlets and blind cords.
Also drawers they may pull out (and climb) or doors they might slam.
A playpen is usually a pretty safe area for them to explore if you have to make a dash to the bathroom.
You really want to keep an eye on them - and if they are out of sight and things get quiet - then they are into something that you need to check out right away.
I didn't think they existed but I found out I'm wrong.
They really do have helmets for toddlers!
https://www.amazon.com/Thudguard-Baby-Safety-Helmet-Blue/...
My youngest was pulling up, cruising and could walk with one of those push toy walkers at 7 months. Then she didn't walk independently until 14 months. I was so sure she would be an early walker.
She could sing her abc from a - z at 14 1/2 months on demand though...that was amazing.
No different than if he was a year and just walking
If you can afford it, there are companies out there that specialize in baby proofing. I would say Google is your friend and maybe research that. Mine was such a great crawler, he didn't walk until almost 15 months so we had a little more time. Great points outlined below as well. :-) S.
If I remember right you live in an apartment so this might not be applicable. But, if you have anywhere with spindles (like at the top of stairs or on a deck) make sure every spindle is secure and that there is some kind of a barrier around the spindles. I've seen something like plastic sheeting that attaches to the spindles. It's clear so it isn't real noticeable, but it prevents kids from slipping in between the spindles. My husband has a coworker who lives in a split level house. Their young daughter was standing by the spindles in the living room watching for her dad to come in the front door. One of the spindles came out and she fell straight down and landed at the bottom of the stairs going to the second level! It was a miracle that she was not seriously hurt. If she had landed just a little differently she would have hit the steps.
If he starts climbing, make sure all furniture is pulled away from windows. We recently had a 4 year old in our community who was playing on a bed that was under a window. He leaned against the open window and the screen popped out and he fell 4 stories. Thankfully he landed on grass and wasn't seriously injured. Another miracle!
