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Make Your Home A Danger-Free Zone

One-year-old Ella Dundas is on the move -- to the delight and dismay of her parents. "My husband and I worry that we haven't babyproofed enough," admits Ella's mom, Amanda. "We don't know where to start! I think we need to move so we can just start from scratch!" Sound familiar?

By Lisa Lombardi

One-year-old Ella Dundas is on the move -- to the delight and dismay of her parents. "My husband and I worry that we haven't babyproofed enough," admits Ella's mom, Amanda. "We don't know where to start! I think we need to move so we can just start from scratch!" Sound familiar? Even if you've purchased half the babyproofing aisle at Babies R Us, you may still panic that you're not doing everything needed to protect your little one. Rest assured, you're already in better shape than you think. By keeping a keen eye on your child, you're doing "the single most important thing you can do, rather than attempting to detect every possible danger," says Kerrie Laguna, PhD, an expert in child development at Lebanon Valley College in Annville, Pennsylvania. But it's still essential to make your home as danger-free as possible. Here's how:

Get down on her level
It may feel weird, but literally crawl around on the floor to spot potential hazards. "You will see all types of temptations, especially hanging cords that babies pull on, bringing down heavy objects like lamps, irons, etc.," Laguna warns.
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Photo by Sara Hammig