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Baby Home Safety FAQ's

Baby Home Safety FAQ's page is designed to provide answers to the most common questions related to baby proofing and making your home safe.  It is our goal to help make every home as safe as possible and it all starts with education and preparation.  If you are looking information and answers about everything from movement monitors to electrical plug outlet covers you've come to the right place.

We consider ourselves experts in the industry of baby home safety with years of experience and knowledge that we want to share with every parent.  If you don't find your answer here be sure to contact us with your questions or comments and we'll reply within 2 -3 days and most importantly we will post it here for everyone else to read and learn.  Please remember that there are no bad questions because we all had to learn at one time or another. 

As new technology emerges in the baby proofing industry we will try our very best to stay up to date with the latest and best products available.  It's amazing how much the industry has changed over the years and we are excited to see how it's going to change heading into the future. 

Frequently Asked Questions and Answers

We get asked a lot of questions about baby proofing and products that we recommend as being safe for babies and small children.  The answer can sometimes be difficult as every situation is unique whether be the layout of your home or the level of curiosity in your child.  We have seen products that work wonderfully for some families and others find that they just don't work or their child outsmarts them. 

At the end of the day there is no substitute for adult supervision and no product should be relied on completely, but there are some pretty amazing products available to parents that weren't in the past.  

1. Do I really need to baby proof my home?
2. How much will it cost to baby proof my home?
3. At what age can I stop using baby proofing devices?
4. What is a car baby monitor?
5. How does a baby movement monitor work?

The answer to this question is Yes, but to what extent is entirely up to you.  There are some products that are required by law in varying states and provinces such as smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors, so be sure to check your local authorities website or contact them directly.  The most common baby proofing products, and the bare minimum we recommend are: 

• door locks to the bathroom, laundry room and exterior of your home
• cupboard locks for the kitchen and bathroom
• window locks to any window that leads outside especially 2nd story or higher
• safety gates to hazardous areas including fireplaces and stairs
• electrical outlet covers 
• anti-tip furniture straps especially for big screen televisions

This list features the bare minimum that a safety conscious parent should have in their home but doesn't include emergency devices like smoke alarms and fire extinguishers.  Every home is unique and you should plan accordingly based on common sense and judgement.  For a complete list of baby proofing products for your home follow the link provided for a wealth of knowledge and product recommendations. 

This is a tough question but we'll try to give you a rough idea but it will ultimately depend on what products you incorporate in your baby proofing plan and whether or not you hire a professional baby proofing service to install the products. 

If you embark on baby proofing your home on your own and only use the bare minimum for products you can plan on spending anywhere between $200 - $300.  It isn't always the case but you often get what you pay for.  A baby gate that costs $30 is not going to be as sturdy or versatile as a gate that costs $100.  It's often well worth the extra money to purchase a product that is proven to work and ensure the safety of your child.  A gate that doesn't work can actually be a bigger safety hazard than no gate at all. 

A professional baby proofing service will costs anywhere between $50 for the initial assessment and upwards of $1000 for large homes.  The advantage is that you get a professional opinion, proven products and the assurance that you are providing the safest environment possible for your loved ones. 

The recommended age that you can consider removing baby proofing products is when your children are between 2 and 3 years old.  It will of course depend on your child, your observations of their behaviour and it doesn't hurt to leave them in place longer to ensure their safety. 

There are products that we recommend leaving on for toddlers over 3 years including anti-tip furniture straps, fireplace gates and door & window locks.  It's important to use your own judgement because every situation is unique and the last thing you want to do it remove them too early and have an accident occur. 

A baby car monitor is a relatively new product that has a few distinct benefits over a regular car mirror.  A mirror is used to see your baby when they are in a rear-facing car seat and allows a visual check of your baby without the need to turn around and take yours eyes off the road.  It is nice to be able to see whether your baby is awake, content or in need of some attention. 

A baby car monitor is similar to a nursery monitor is that it has a separate camera and viewing device.  The camera is set up either on the headrest behind the seat or on an adjacent window whichever is more suitable.  The cordless display is mounted on your dash or a convenient place to view without being a distraction while driving. 

The world of baby monitors has changed dramatically over the past 10 years with the advances in wireless technology.  There was a time when monitors were used to listen and hear your baby when they work up while parents or caregivers were in a separate room carrying on with daily living or chores.  

With the increased awareness and understand of SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome) there became a need to monitor a baby's breathing and movements especially while sleeping.  The best baby movement monitors available today have built in sensors that are either attached to your baby's diaper or under the crib mattress in a very discrete way.  Information is gathered such as movement, heart rate or temperature and when an anomaly is detected, a warning signal is activated.  The device acts as a warning system for any problems detected during your baby's sleep. 

If you have questions or topic you would like us to address please contact us and we will answers you questions personally and post it on our baby home safety faq page so other parents like you can read it! 

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