The Art of Baby Proofing a House Full of Legos and Barbie Shoes

...And RAINBOW LOOMS.  Oh. My. Gosh.  Is there anything worse than the millions of tiny rubber bands, when it comes to babyproofing?

I have to say, keeping my house safe for my baby was so much easier when I only had a ton of little kids.  In fact, I'd say that across the board, almost everything about having a baby was easier when I only had little kids.  Even when I had three under three years.  Or four under five years.

But that's another post for another day.

The fact is, keeping the floor clear of every tiny little choke-able thing is nigh impossible around here.  If it's not the Legos, the Barbie shoes, or the Rainbow Loom rubber bands, it's the chunky mud from the 12 year old's running shoes.  Or the beads from the 8 year old's latest crafting extravaganza.  Or the 14 year old's bobby pin.  Or, or, or...

Since throwing up my hands and declaring it to be a lost cause isn't really an option, I've come up with a few helpful techniques.  Some of these I've been doing for years, others have been born out of a new level of necessity.  Maybe some of these will work for you?



Yes, that's a Lincoln Log in his mouth.  That's not a choking hazard, right?

1.  All crafts are done on a cookie sheet.  This includes everything from the afore-mentioned beads and rubber band bracelets, to the crayons and coloring book, to hole-punch-confetti-making (do your kids do this?  It's super fun, and not too big a mess if it's on a cookie sheet).  The sides of the cookie sheet contain the stray crayon, bead or rubber band.  And as a side-benefit, clean-up is a breeze.

2.  Declare one room to be completely baby-friendly.  I'm not the world's most fastidious housekeeper, but there's one room in my house that is constantly picked up, and swept every single day.  Sure, I'll fold laundry in there (even the tiniest baby-sized socks aren't choking hazards), but no Nerf War will be held, no friendship bracelet will be made.

3. Make sure all babyproofing stays intact.  Teach your older kids the importance of being careful.  Remind them, however many times it takes to form new (safe) habits.  And let their little eyes and hands be tools for keeping the baby safe.  They are all closer to the ground than you are, and are more likely to see the stray raisin hiding under the edge of the chair.  If you want a fun idea for an older sibling to get involved in the baby-proofing, read this from MamaSmiles.

4. Each tiny item I find on the floor gets one warning.  Okay, it's owner gets one warning.  If I find a tiny (read: choke-inducing) piece of toy/hair accessory/whatever on the floor, I hand it to the kid who claims it as theirs and let them know that the next time I find it on the floor, it goes in the trash.  And it does.

5. When all else fails, if you can't contain the hazards, then instead contain the baby.  The more people (especially children) in your home, the more difficult it will be to keep the house baby proof at all times.  So when you can't keep your house safe, you can keep your baby safe.  High chair, porta-crib, swing, carried on your front/back, whatever.  If you can't keep the hazards off the floor, then keep the baby off the floor instead.

Good Luck!


Kate