Many of us first time parents are overwhelmed when we bring that first kid home. Everything is a new experience and all those firsts start coming at you before you can stop to appreciate them. Add onto that the lack of sleep and figuring out how this new baby is to be cared for and you’ve got a sticky situation; at least for a few months. But don’t worry, you will figure it out, and you’ll get to enjoy all the things your friends and family have talked about for the last nine months.
However, eventually that infant starts becoming more independent, a stage we all welcome once it’s reached, and with independency comes movement. All of the sudden your baby is making the rounds figuring out everything they can jam their little fingers into, and finding all the bits of snacks that fell through the couch you haven’t vacuumed up yet. That is where these techniques come into play. Those tiny humans will test every boundary and sometimes in the heat of the battle we just don’t want to make the effort to turn every problem into a teaching moment. Setting up your home with some forethought will alleviate some of those battles and make your parenting experience all the more enjoyable.
DISCLAIMER: Every kid is different. You may have to think outside the box to solve a particular issue with your toddler. So don’t let this list be exhaustive. Nor should you implement every suggestion as some may not apply or you simply cannot accommodate them due to particular circumstances.
That being said; Let’s dig in.
1. Trash Cans:
When our first son started walking we immediately started teaching him the new boundaries wo which he now had access. One of these was the trash can. However, since our first started walking at 11 months, curiosity was not to be ignored and trash can became a wondrous place where things went in and never came back out. All the baby safety items were implemented: cabinet locks, outlet covers, etc., but our son had a knack for opening the trash can and we were not all that excited to let him do so.
Initially we were using a standard 13-gallon kitchen trash can designed to stand alone, with a foot pedal activated lid. Problem was the lid could also be easily opened by hand, and for an 11-month old the temptation was too much. Rather than continuing to fight a losing battle we decided to get a new trash can. Enter the Kohler 13 Gallon Hands-Free Kitchen Step Trash Can with Foot Pedal and Quiet-Close Lid.
We got ours in stainless but there are multiple color options. What was so great about this trash can is that the lid is recessed and flush with the top lip of the trash can body, making it impossible for even an adult, with just their fingers, to open. The pedal operates smoothly and cleanly and the soft-close feature ensures no little fingers get smashed when the pedal is disengaged. The can has a clean look that is modern and fits with almost any motif. Our kitchen is laid out is such a way that the trash can stands alone on its own wall and we don’t even notice its there until the need arises to toss something in. The lid seals well enough to avoid escaping odors without the need for de-odorizers, although you could always add one if that’s your cup of tea.
Honestly I can’t say enough good things about this trash can. It functions perfectly and solved a problem we didn’t discover until our first child was mobile.
However, there are alternative options. You could keep the trash can inside a cabinet. This is a popular idea with new home builds and cabinets can be specifically designed to accept a trash can in either a tilt-out or pull-out option. If you have the cabinet space and you’re willing to sacrifice it to a trash can then you can always go with something like this.
They are relatively easy to install and fit standard sized trash cans. Be sure to measure first to ensure your cabinet will accept the model you’re looking at. The downside here is that you end up with having a cabinet lock in place to keep the toddlers out while still allowing you access, essentially defeating the purpose. Since the trash can is typically one of the most used items in a kitchen, you’ll be exercising that child safety lock exhaustingly, plus you give up what is usually precious cabinet space. If you end up going this route I would advise against investing in a cheaper product. We all have budgets but with moving parts that are potentially supporting a hefty amount of weight, you could end up replacing cheaper options with a more robust one later down the road.
2. Self-Closing Gates:
Baby gates are a must once the little ones begin moving on their own. Using them at the top of the stairs should be first on the list, and for any other hazardous area you don’t want your baby having access to. We don’t happen to have any stairs in the house. However, we did have sections of the house we wanted to keep the littles away from without having to constantly monitor where they were. Our home happens to have a natural choke point so we installed a baby gate at that location. Of all the gates I’ve checked out I like the Regalo 2-in-1 Extra Tall Easy Swing Stairway Gate. It’s easy to install and with an unlatch-and-lift style operation it ensures no children will be opening it anytime soon. Our son is now three and still cannot open it despite his knack for figuring things out all too quickly. But this gate lacks a certain feature that I’ve considered adding myself; auto-closing.
This brings me to my point. Gates only work when you remember to close them. In the midst of making dinner and watching the children, among the myriad of other tasks, forgetting to close a gate can happen. Installing a self-closing gate is just another layer of protection you don’t have to worry about. Many companies like Safety First and Toddleroo have auto-closing gate offerings which are tested and work as intended. These are the two I would suggest:
- Safety First Auto-Close Pressure-Mounted Magnetic Latch Gate
- Toddleroo 40.5” Stone Arch Auto Close Baby Gate
The upsides to gates like these are the ease of installation and the manner in which they install leaves no marks on your walls or staircase. They come unassembled but effectively install as a single piece meaning the level of skill required to setup is minimal.
That all sounds great but there are downsides. First, because of how they install a ‘threshold bar’ is needed to ensure proper operation. This is the bar you have to step over whenever walking through the gate. While some folks don’t mind such an arrangement, I find it less appealing than simply having no bar there at all. My concern would be that I would be carrying my baby and trip while walking through the gate with child in hand. The other downside is maybe less obvious, but due to the nature of installation, the gate is only secured to the door frame via pressure on the walls or bannisters. This is fine for babies and toddlers who generally don’t run headlong into baby gates, but less so if you have large, rambunctious dogs who may be clumsy at times. I don’t happen to have large dogs, but nonetheless I like to think that the product I install will stay in place, even if a little abuse is directed at it.
If you’re like me and want a more secure option you’ll need to get out the tool kit, because there’s going to be some drilling involved. But fret not, most manufacturers don’t expect you to be a master carpenter, and include easy to follow instructions on how to setup my next suggestion; the Babelio 26-43” Auto Close Baby/Dog Gate for Stairs.
This gate offers the same benefits as the previous models but removes the downsides mentioned before. Rather than pressure mounting the gate, this style requires some measuring and drilling to mount the gate with the provided hardware. I would strongly suggest using better wall anchors if you need to mount into drywall. Most often the provided drywall anchors are cheap and don’t provide much strength. I’m a fan of this style of anchor as its affordable and creates a strong hold. There are better options, but they require larger holes in the wall and typically incur extra cost. If you happen to be securing the gate into solid wood, for instance in a door frame or stair banister, you can forego the anchors and use the provided screws directly into the wood.
If your comfortable with basic installation and have the skills to match, then this is the way to go in my opinion. The only real downside is that it does leave behind holes in your walls when you eventually remove the gate. For drywall that’s less of an issue. If you use the anchors I suggested you can just screw them down a little further then patch over them with a good seam compound. If you had to screw directly into wood, repairs can be made using various techniques, most of which are very accessible with common materials from the hardware store.
The last option to consider, depending on your specific situation and what you’re willing to change in your house, is to install a gate that fits into the motif of your home. Again, this isn’t always desirable and sometimes can be cost prohibitive, but it looks incredible and offers another feature that would otherwise not be available. Adding a gate can take on many forms but no matter the form, adding an auto-close function is doable. Because there are so many ways to accomplish this I won’t give any specific suggestions, but there are a number of off-the-shelf products that add the auto-close feature, including:
If you want to go for a more creative option, and you have the initiative to do-it-yourself, you can design and build a counterweight door closer system and install it on whatever standard gate you’ve already installed that fits your home décor. I would suggest finding some old window weights, grabbing some brass pulleys with manilla rope from the hardware store, and doing a little online digging for a plan on how to make such a contraption. There are a multitude of ways to make a counterweight system so be creative and do whatever you like.
EXTRA NOTE: Self-closing technologies can also be applied to existing doors in your house if you have certain rooms that you want to keep the little ones clear of. Standard door hinges can be replaced with self-closers without a need to install a baby gate at all.
3. Blackout Curtains:
OK, so this one isn’t exactly a new idea, or strictly falls within the theme of this blog, but they can make all the difference during nap times, making sure your baby stays asleep.
Sleep is vital for infants and toddlers, and nothing makes it easier to establish strong sleeping habits than having routine. Children need routine and part of that is the environment in which they take those naps. Unfortunately, depending on your geographical location along with other factors, means that you’ll likely be fighting the sunlight at one point or another. Adding sun-eliminating curtains will ensure the light balance in the room is always the same from day to day, and at night as well. This will give your baby a point of reference, knowing that this environment (with the lights off) is when we sleep.
I was able to pickup some good quality blackout curtains for cheap at an auction. Amazon sells the same style, or you can checkout your local home-improvement store. Just be sure to measure your windows before ordering. If you can’t find anything in the exact length you need it’s always possible to get some that are longer and have a seamstress shorten them.
There’s really no end to the options available. This is the style I like. But once again, whatever décor fits your home you’ll be able to find a style that compliments it.
EXTRA HACK: If you really want to get the light completely out of a room on the cheap, you can grab an extra piece of cardboard, and cut it down to the size of the window frame. Sliding the cardboard into the frame will eliminate 100% of the light coming in, guaranteeing a perfectly dark room every time. I always cut the cardboard a little long in one direction (the longer) and perfect in the other (the shorter). This allows me to completely cover the window and “wedge” the cardboard into place where it will hold itself without extra help. We happened to leave the cardboard in place with our second child, since they really never spend any time in their room aside from sleeping. However, if you want the light back, simply remove the piece and ‘presto’, you have natural light again. If the cardboard wears out from use, just grab a moving box from the hardware store and make another one.
Conclusion
Alright, I’ve carried on long enough. I hope this information has been helpful. If you want to see more content like this, comment below. Part 2 coming shortly. Until next time.