No-tip straps are used now to make sure cabinets don’t fall over on kids. My sister in law almost died when she was little - she climbed on a cabinet, and it fell over on her. I was glad to see that my son in law used the straps on the IKEA bookcases that line their basement (they hold his Lego creations). A lot of people don’t bother with them, but they are important.
6 Likes
@abasket - you will also have to figure out how to keep the bebe from getting into kitchen drawers! 
Thankfully, that phase is very short! And our grands were distracted by the cats and basement playroom so I was lucky not to need any safety latches for the cabinets!
1 Like
My kids were climbing out of crib from very early ages, well before they were 2. We had them sleep on futon on floor when they started escaping instead of risking them falling when escaping the crib.
2 Likes
Pool noodles (cut up sometimes, duct tape and zip ties) can go a long way for temporary baby proofing. Thick blankets over coffee tables. Snap neck fabric baby-baby bibs can tie up lower kitchen cabinets with handles. Lots of eyes on the kids is great baby proofing too.
Pool noodles under a fitted sheet make good bed bumpers for a tot who has graduated from a crib.
5 Likes
We use a pool noodle on the metal bed frame on the bed GD sleeps in at our house. She can step on it without hurting her feet as she climbs into the bed.
Pool noodles are versatile, widely available and pretty inexpensive.
1 Like
My granddaughter is 4 months old and has been rolling onto her stomach. She hasn’t figured out how to roll back the other way yet. It’s cute, except when she does it in her crib at night and wakes up crying. D & SIL have had to get up several times a night and roll her back over. I think she naturally wants to sleep on her stomach (or some hybrid of stomach/side) but doesn’t realize it’s ok. She turns her head to the side just fine.
1 Like
“For 1 to 10-year olds.”
I can’t fathom any kid over the age of 4 putting up with that. And a 10-year-old? No way.
3 Likes
I hadn’t thought of the pool noodle idea. In the fall we will have two grandchildren overnight at the same time. One will sleep on the blow up toddler bed and the other in the twin daybed. I’m going to try the noddle and see if that is helpful. It will be the first time the younger has slept away from his parents. The older has stayed with us twice. Once when his Mom was in the hospital having his sibling and another when his parents went out of town for a wedding and took the baby.
1 Like
We also have purchased hippa camp blow up bolsters. But then we realized pool noodles under fitted sheets do about the same thing so we use those for additional beds.
1 Like
Also can use small pillows tucked under a bed sheet - so the pillow stays put. A technique often used under a ‘turn sheet’ for seniors, protecting a senior from bed rails.
“Back to sleep” became the standard I’d guess about 20 years ago? to prevent SIDS. Experts said some SIDS cases were caused by the infant’s face being buried in the mattress and baby not being able to lift his head or flip over. Once a baby starts rolling over there isn’t much a parent can do about it except start on his back. Same theory for keeping all the stuffies, bumpers and blankets out of the crib, to prevent the baby from becoming tangled in them.
Did I break all these rules 30 years ago? Yes, except for the crib bumpers as I’d bought the fabric but never finished them. My daughter does have a beautifully shaped head as she wasn’t always on her back. She probably couldn’t flip over until she was 9 months old or so (preemie, so delayed in most things). She also wasn’t an active sleeper and to this day falls asleep and stays in the same position for hours. And she always had her face to the left with her thumb firmly planted there so wasn’t shifting her head back and forth.
As a grandmother, I promise to do better.
1 Like
My kids were very active sleepers, even in the hospital! The changing tables seemed very dangerous to me because my kids would flip right off them. Whomever changed them always had to keep at least one hand on them at all times. They were the infants which were in a different direction from all the other babies in the nursery because they moved so much.
1 Like
Back To Sleep campaign started in 1994! And continues its messaging because many parents still haven’t got the memo.
3 Likes
Well there you go, my daughter was born in 1996 and it wasn’t stressed to me. She was in the NICU for 3 months and most of that time on O2 so didn’t sleep on her back. Was on a monitor when she came home so I’d know if she wasn’t breathing correctly. I was clueless.
I promise to do better!
1 Like
I wondered why I rarely hear of a SIDS death anymore.
The Task Force reviewed more than 250 excellent Pediatrics publications that have all contributed to our knowledge of SIDS and other sleep-related infant deaths and has selected 5 landmark studies. We believe that these selected studies were instrumental to the initial US Back to Sleep campaign and its successor, the current Safe to Sleep campaign, which were associated with a 50% reduction in deaths. In addition, these studies provide the evidence base for many of the AAP safe sleep recommendations that have reshaped the anticipatory guidance and advocacy efforts of pediatricians and other clinicians caring for infants worldwide.
My youngest was born in 1995 and i remember back sleeping being stressed in contrast to my 90’ and 92’ babies.
1 Like
And rebranded as “Safe To Sleep” in 2012 to encompass other non safe sleep habits such as co-sleeping (for newborns). They have made leaps and bounds with SIDS but old (family) habits die hard sometimes !
And nurseries can be cute without crib bumpers and multiple stuffed animals!
1 Like
D1 never put the babies in her room. She has camera and sound equipment in the room, so she always knows how the kids are sleeping. I am the one who allows GD1 sleep with me when she stays over. She is not an easy sleep partner. She’ll put her head on my shoulder or chest, and sometimes she’ll put her feet on my neck. But anything goes when at grandma’s place.
7 Likes
Our kids never wanted to sleep in our bed or room (except at hotels where we all shared a room). It was probably best for all of us.
1 Like