| T.R | Title | User | Personal
Name | Date | Lines |
|---|
| 432.1 | no problem with "pressure" gate | EMDS::CUNNINGHAM | | Wed Jan 27 1993 08:18 | 8 |
|
We've got an old wooden gate that locks into place with the
pressure on the sides, and have never had a problem with it. Michael
is 16 mos old and strong as an ox, and theres still no way he could pull
it out of place...
Chris
|
| 432.2 | | CNTROL::JENNISON | Jesus, the Gift that keeps on giving! | Wed Jan 27 1993 08:34 | 8 |
|
The book "What to Expect the First Year" has a quite extensive
list of things to do to childproof your home.
One suggestion I heard was to get down on your knees, and see
what a little one can get into from there.
Karen, who also needs to do this *soon*
|
| 432.3 | me too | KAOFS::M_FETT | alias Mrs.Barney | Wed Jan 27 1993 08:46 | 13 |
| We've started to put things away out of Charlotte's reach, but
frankly, if we are not on the floor with her when we have out little
crawls, there is a lot of stuff she can possibly get into trouble
with. I am particularly concerned about electrical cords/plugs. When
I was a teenager, my best friend's nephew bit through a regular
electrical cord and had to have major cosmetic surgery to fix the
injury during his childhood.
So far it "noooooo." and turn the little crawling machine around.
The other concern is that we have a number of books/bookshelves in the
house. Do kids often try climbing them?
This is scary stuff!
Monica
|
| 432.4 | | NASZKO::DISMUKE | Romans 12:2 | Wed Jan 27 1993 09:21 | 19 |
| My little ones were fairly easy in our home. In my sister's it was
another issue. Keep in mind that anyplace a child frequents should be
babyproofed - or the parent's need to be baby-sensitive. My parents
let me babyproof their home and it stayed that way (we have kids
ranging in age of 13yr to a 20 month old - with another on the way).
The idea of crawling around and looking is a great one. Also having an
infant "show" you the areas of interest is another excellent way. Just
follow the crawler and see what they go for.
The biggest thing you'll have to do is to remember to discipline your
crawler when they touch things that shouldn't be touched. My son knew
at the ripe old age of 12 months that he was not to touch the stereo.
However, my wonderful father and uncle showed him otherwise !! 8^) and
we had to teach that one all over again. Stay consistent with them,
it's the only way they learn. (too bad I couldn't discipline the "big
boys" too!)
-sandy
|
| 432.5 | Too tough for pressure gates | TANNAY::BETTELS | Cheryl, DTN 821-4022, Management Systems Research | Wed Jan 27 1993 09:55 | 32 |
| My son's both pulled the pressure gates out of the doorways. We installed
the acordian type gates with real tough latches (took a lot of MY force to
pinch) which, of course the kid's fingure how to work. We then used the latch
lock which they figured out how to open. Then we used a padlock with a little
key which we left in the tiny padlock which they figured out how to turn. Then
we put the key well away and they gave up. These gates are not stbe enough,
from my experience, for them to feel like climbing over them and they are very
easily adjustable to all door widths. Worked well later when we got the dog :-)
At least he couldn't work the key :-)
Kids and locks!!! We kept the litchen door locked at night and while Dirk (now
fourteen was on the move. He learned how to work the key. So we put the key
up on top of the doorjamb. One time we found Dirk at about 2 years old
getting books to pile on the stool that he had placed on top of the chair that
he had pulled over to the door to climb up to get the key to get into the
kitchen!
I always unplugged EVERYTHING in the house I wasn't using and used those awful
plug protectors that even I can't get out without pliers in all the empty
sockets.
It was the second time (the first time was son #1) that I found Markus tasting
the lovely mint flavored toilet bowl cleaner in the childproof (hah!) bottle
that I decided that elbow grease would clean a toilet just as well as toilet
bowl cleaner. Neither son seem to suffer from the toilet bowl cleaner which
made me think they might decide to come back for more!
Good luck. They can think up much more than you can! (Like shellac-ing Markus
from head to toe with dark brown spray varnish. He looked like a wooden
Indian! 3 years old).
Cheryl
|
| 432.6 | A few suggestions | JUPITR::MAHONEY | Just another tricky day | Wed Jan 27 1993 10:32 | 21 |
| When Danielle was crawling we put thos big retagular plastic covers
over the outlets being used they sreww in where the switch plate goes.
They cover any cords that are plugged in. I recommend those.
We also had those First Years cabinet locks and drawer locks, without
those she would have gotten into everything.
We used to keep the VCR unplugged when not in use sometimes little ones
will put the most unusual stuff in the tape slot...we know of someones
child who put a peanut butter sandwich in their VCR! What a mess...
We used the gate with the pressure thing on the sides also, never found
a problem with it, they are so strong that I had trouble with it. But I
prefer much more the Gerry gate that slide's back and forth, because you
don't haveto climb over them, climbing over those gates after a while
get's to be a pain. Other than that all we did was put things out of her
reach and we never had any problems with her safety.
Oh I forgot, we kept the bathroom door closed alot, she loved to pull
the whole roll of toilet paper of the roll! I think every child has
done that at least once....hehe..
sandy
|
| 432.7 | what we have started to do | KAOFS::M_FETT | alias Mrs.Barney | Wed Jan 27 1993 10:45 | 25 |
| Well, as I mentioned we HAVE started doing the following:
1/ keeping ALL cleaners chemicals, etc in the following locations:
- under 1 corner cabinet in the kitchen (things to wash dishes, etc)
we will put a special latch on that.
- on a shelf in the laundry room is all detergents, bounce sheets,
etc needed for washing the clothes. We intend to teach the little
one(s) they are not permitted in the laundry room without adult
supervision. we have the furnace and the hot water heater there,
so its a nono.
- we have a small "closet" off the main basement room which contains
the oil tank for the furnace. We have placed everything chemical
there (paints, anything from extra boxes of detergent to lighter
fluid and shoe polish). This will be locked.
- Policy about bathrooms: trying to get in the habit of keeping them
closed - when anyone has to take medication, they are to make
sure the baby is not in sight when opening the cabinet doors
OR opening the bottle of pills OR INGESTING THEM). Cabinets
will have safety locks.
Thanks for the ideas for the electrical stuff. How am I doing so
far? 8-)
Monica
|
| 432.8 | | RICKS::PATTON | | Wed Jan 27 1993 11:00 | 8 |
| We put a lid-lock on the toilet (but we never assume it has been
locked...we always check children in the bathroom.)
Most of our trash cans spend time on counters and tables. Charlotte
sometimes fishes interesting things out of them if we don't --
or even worse, throws things away, like my wallet.
Lucy
|
| 432.9 | I guess this is where all that time went... | JARETH::BLACHEK | | Wed Jan 27 1993 11:13 | 45 |
| I babyproofed before I came back to work when Gina was 6-1/2 months
old. I knew I wouldn't have time later!
I used a combination of items to cover electrical outlets. I used the
type that have the spring cover over each outlet for places where I
needed to access them frequently and change the items in the outlet.
The bathroom, kitchen, and whatever outlets I use for the vacuum
cleaner were primary choices. These are quite nice, but expensive.
They cannot be used for larger plugs, like the ones on her monitor.
For plugs that were permanently in, I used the type that was described
in an earlier note that just gets put over the plug, cord and all.
For rooms that Gina was infrequently in (the guest room, the spare room
downstairs) or for behind furniture, I used those little plugs that go
into each outlet.
We got two pressure gates to try to "rope" her in a room. But we found
we rarely used them since she preferred to be where we were. We got a
gate that needed hardware for the top of the stairs, and still use it
when we go to bed in case she sleep walks. (She's now 2-1/2.)
We put up mesh on the upstairs railing that goes around the hallway.
I'm more than ready to take that down now...I just need to find the
time.
We also got around and checked things out. She loved to get into the
dirt of one plant, so I sewed a drawstring bag of nylon net and put the
plant into it. Once she no longer showed interest, I removed that. It
was very inexpensive, and allowed us to keep the plant there and easily
water it through the bag.
We got locks for our cabinets through some company in the South. They
are magnetized locks and work quite well. We put them on three
cabinets and made sure all the others were safe for her. (These were
very expensive, but are very secure and don't allow children to get
into the cabinet. Other things they seem to figure out.)
We were extremely careful with our change and those silly little
plastic tags used to hold the price tags on clothes.
It is expensive to babyproof, but well worth it when you can worry
about fewer things.
judy
|
| 432.10 | | 28922::BURDEN_D | A 412? What's a 412!? | Wed Jan 27 1993 12:50 | 31 |
| We like the wooden accordian gates for the stairs. Our 4 year old
son can operate them now, but not our 2 year old daughter. They
can lean against them all they want and they won't come off.
We also use the plastic drawer catches. Makes it a pain to
open, but you get used to it and they do work. The ones
in the frequently used drawers and cabinets break after
awhile so we have a handful of spares.
One thing I did, (we have a two story, no basement) once
our oldest was able to climb the stairs, with one of us
behind him, was to install a second hand rail up the stairwell
just for the kids. It's halfway between the normal one
and the stairs and is about 1-1/2" round so they can get a
pretty full grip on it. It gives them added stability
on the stairs and something to look forward to - when they
get big enough to use 'Mom and Dad's' hand rail!
Our washer/dryer/furnace room is right off the kitchen and
that is also were we feed the cats and have their litter box.
The cats needed full access, but not the kids. The door
opens into the room, not into the kitchen. I took a
chain lock for a door and installed it from inside the
utility room so the door can be pushed open from the kitchen
about 3-4 inches. Enough for the cats, but not enough for
the kids. The chain is achored on the door, not the frame.
The slide catch is mounted vertically on the door frame
with the opening at the top. A simple upward movement with
a hand will unchain the door when we need to get in there.
Dave
|
| 432.11 | Eventually you'll need it all | 7389::WRIGHT | | Wed Jan 27 1993 12:59 | 44 |
| We child proofed as we went along, putting up gates when he learned to
crawl, putting on cabinet door latches when he could reach the
cabinets, putting on drawer latches when he could reach the drawers,
etc. It seemed that we were constantly doing another child proof chore
every few weeks for a year. If I were to do it again, I'd just do
everything at once, in one weekend. In the end, we found there was no
avoiding any of the child proof items. When I first looked through the
catalogues like "Safety First", I was amazed at how many different
items there were for so many different possible risks. Now, two years
later, I see that we have bought and installed every single thing! So
you may want to go through the catalogues, resign yourself that you are
going to need everything that could possible be applicable in your
house, resign yourself to the cost, and just order it all. The peace
of mind is well worth the cost.
When we were almost done with all child proofing, we got a brochure in
the mail from a small start-up company that offered to do all your
child proofing for you. They would first come into your house to
inspect everything, then they would come up with a list of everything
that needed to be done, then they would price all the needed items plus
throw in the price of their labor to install all of the items, and give
you an estimate of what it would all cost. If you agreed to it, they
would buy all of the items and come and install them all in one day.
Unfortunately I didn't save the brochure but you might be able to find
a service like this through your pediatrician. One of the things that
really impressed me about them was their ability to handle the really
unique problems that might be presented by an unusual set-up in a
house, that probably would not have a solution in a catalogue.
In addition to all of the usual stuff, we were also concerned about our
large screen TV. It turned out that our TV had a small scratch on the
screen, which we didn't notice, which was probably put there by our
toddler. Well, one day I walked into the living room and found him
licking the TV screen!!! Don't ask me why. Who would ever have
imagined he'd do that? Anyway, after telling him no-no and distracting
him, I went to clean the screen and that's when I discovered the
scratch. He's lucky that he didn't scrape his tongue on the scratch in
the glass. So I went to a fabric store and got a large piece of vinyl
material and some velcro strips, did some cutting and gluing, and ended
up with a vinyl "cover" for the front of the TV, which can be removed
via the velcro when my husband and I want to watch TV. I made the
velcro attachments complex enough that it will be a while before my
toddler is old enough to figure out how to un-attach it himself, and
hopefully by then he will have outgrown his desire to lick the screen!
|
| 432.12 | | CSC32::S_BROOK | | Wed Jan 27 1993 13:17 | 5 |
| Accordian gates are all but outlawed in many places now. They were outlawed
in our house after a few trapped fingers! Their danger far outweighs their
flexibility for most doorways.
Stuart
|
| 432.13 | | DYNOSR::CHANG | Little dragons' mommy | Wed Jan 27 1993 13:53 | 7 |
| We also used gate for the stairs. We put all the chemicals in one
cabinet and locked it. In the kitchen, I emptied the lower drawers
and put some toys in it. We covered all the electronic outlets.
The only thing we didn't child proof is our stereo cabinet. That's
probably why we need a new VCR now :-).
Wendy
|
| 432.14 | | SUPER::WTHOMAS | | Wed Jan 27 1993 14:13 | 45 |
|
What we consider child-proofed may not be what others consider
child proofed. Spencer is not one to put much in his mouth (except an
occasional munch of dog food) and so some of his toys have pieces that
are not recommended for children under three. This would never go over
in some houses and as a matter of fact, when one of Spencer's friend's
comes over, I do a quick sweep of the smaller pieces because that child
loves to put everything in his mouth.
We have a staircase that is ungated, I am forever either pulling
Spencer off of it, or following him from behind. If he saw a gate
there, it would just inspire him to go up it and so instead we just try
to pay as little attention to it as possible.
The first floor is completely open and we do use a gate to keep him
in the TV room if we are trying to get something done (like make
dinner) otherwise, he pretty much has full range of the first floor.
There is a one step down to Marc's office and Spencer has figured out
that he needs our assistance to walk down the step, the only way he
will go down it is if he is holding onto our hands. (This means he will
drag us across the room so that he can go up and down and up and down
and up.... this one little step.
We've just had the door locks replaced, as he was figuring out how
to open the doors himself (we were worried that he would lock himself
outside).
The other thing is that we have a gas stove and so have child proof
protectors on the knobs (so far that has not been of interest to him).
The second and third floors, however, are considered off limits for
now until we can make some adjustments (like netting around the stair
banisters.
The chemicals are in one cupboard that are locked.
Oh yes, Spencer has full access to the VCR and CD player. It means
we never get to watch a full video or hear a complete song while he is
awake, but I figure the investment in learning experience is worth
it.(besides who is really watching the tapes, him or us?) Believe it or
not, in his playings, Spencer has figured out how power the VCR on,
load the VCR, turn it to VCR mode, and start a tape.
Wendy
|
| 432.15 | Gas Oven Protection? | ICS::SIMMONS | | Wed Jan 27 1993 14:22 | 15 |
| Wendy,
Where and what kind of protection can you put on a gas stove? I've
never seen anything like this!
I came into my kitchen the other day ... both by 2 and 6 year old were
there. I noticed that the broiler had been turned on. I asked "Who
turned the broiler on?" My 2 year-old owned right up ... "I did mommy!"
So, I am very interested in what and where to get this protective
device ... ASAP!
In advance, thanks.
Joyce
|
| 432.16 | | SUPER::WTHOMAS | | Wed Jan 27 1993 14:53 | 12 |
|
Marc got them at Toys R Us and they are (for lack of a better
description) plastic domes that fit over the knobs so that you can not
accidentally turn the gas on. Of course this means that you have to be
able to have sufficient hand strenght to twist them off to use the
stove (and when my wrist is bothering me, this is sometimes a problem)
but they seem to be very effective in keeping little hands from
twisting knobs that they shouldn't.
Wendy
|
| 432.17 | socks on door knobs - help, he started crawling today!! | DKAS::GOODWIN | Malin Goodwin | Wed Jan 27 1993 15:15 | 24 |
|
Hi again, I'm the base noter checking in on all the replies.
Thanks for all the ideas and answers sofar! This conference is a
wealth of experience and is really great!
The comment on protection over stove knobs brought something to
mind that I read ages ago in some parenting magazine.
A reader suggested putting socks over door knobs (put a
rubber band around to keep in place) to prevent children from
opening the doors.
In order to open the door, you need "pressure" on the knob so that
the sock just does not slip - (similar to what is described in .16)
Well, I guess this would work - if you have doors.
Oh, by the way, my husband just called me this morning at work
(after I entered the base note) to report that Jonathan is crawling!
So I guess this child proofing thing is more urgent than we realized -
I thought we still had a couple of weeks to go.
/Malin
|
| 432.18 | And more... | ASIC::MYERS | | Wed Jan 27 1993 15:39 | 25 |
| We've done most of the things mentioned in the earlier notes but also
have done a couple of others that make me feel safer.
Our family room has a raised hearth and now with Sarah cruising all
over the furniture (she's like a little monkey going from piece to
piece, this child has no fear) I was afraid of her falling and hitting
the edge of the brick. I bought a hearth guard from Saftey First; it's
rubber edging that fits around the hearth. While it's not the most
glamorous looking thing (as if that really matters) it will do the job
and it wasn't too expensive, $18.95??? I've only seen it in the One Step
Ahead catalogue, but Safety First is located in Chestnust Hill, MA so you
could probably call and try to get it from them (you'll probably need
extra lengths, too) I have seen other hearth guards, more custom than
this, but they are VERY expensive ($100).
I also bought a stove guard. Kind of on the idea of the knob covers
but this prevents little hands from reaching up and touching the
burners or hot pans while you're cooking. It just attaches on with
clips and can be easily removed for washing. I've seen these in lots of
the kids catalogs (Right Start, One Step Ahead...) but have never seen
one in a store.
There are soooo many things to childproof, I can't believe it all.
Susan
|
| 432.19 | | TOOK::POLE::SCAER | Boop-Boop-a-Doop | Wed Jan 27 1993 17:59 | 6 |
|
On some gas stoves you can remove the knobs and put them away in
a drawer until you need them.
.......................beth
|
| 432.20 | Safety First? | KAOFS::M_FETT | alias Mrs.Barney | Thu Jan 28 1993 09:31 | 12 |
| Where can I get this much talked about Safety First Catalog?
Sounds like a wealth of ideas, even if I don't purchase anything
they advertise!
Someone suggested that in the long run they should have done all
the Child Proofing at once. This to me sounds like great hind
sight - for 1st time parents like us, we haven't the best ideas
of what NEEDS to be protected and especially since each child's
need to "get into trouble" is different. So, I think I will just
bumble along and do things as they come up (although, the
ideas here were great! Keep em coming!)
Monica
|
| 432.21 | | SUPER::WTHOMAS | | Thu Jan 28 1993 10:10 | 14 |
|
One of our friends has to use some sort of clip that attaches to the
toilet so that the seat can't be raised. (they have a dunker).
Luckily we have not run into that problem yet (although we have had
a problem in the past with the dog drinking out of the toilets and so
the rule in our house is to always keep them down).
I hope that we never have to use that clip in our house because to
be perfectly honest, I can not open it and everytime I have to go to
the bathroom at our friend's house I always have to ask her to "open
the toilet" for me.
Wendy
|
| 432.22 | shoe boxes | PCOJCT::LOCOVARE | | Thu Jan 28 1993 10:56 | 17 |
|
One thing that happened to me was my daughter was rummaging
in my closet and I saw her playing with shoes and shoe boxes
and didn't think much about it... She later walked over to
the dog and handed her what looked like a piece of paper
(she feeds the dog treats and consequently the dog gets
feed toooo many things!) and I went over to get it and
it turned out to be a silcone packet that they put
in new shoe boxes under the tissue paper... Well that
shook me up because luckily nothing happened but something
that seemed harmless could have been bad for my daughter
or the dog!!
SOOOO check your shoeboxes out and always keep an
eye on your child as much as possible...
|
| 432.23 | | CNTROL::JENNISON | Jesus, the Gift that keeps on giving! | Thu Jan 28 1993 11:45 | 26 |
|
I've noticed that some things that "seem" safe can also cause
problems.
I kept a very large cardboard box that something came in, because
Emily liked to use it to stand up (and subsequently bang on with
her toys). I had it tipped upside down, so there was no harm of
her climbing inside. Last weekend, I was letting her cruise around
in the den with me. She started scraping her two bottom teeth on
the box, and managed to scrape off enough of the cardboard to make
a nice wad of paper in her mouth in a matter of a minute. I was
able to get the paper out with a finger sweep of her mouth, but she's
getting wise to that, and clenches her jaw shut when I go in. I'm
hoping she doesn't start trying to swallow whatever she's got before
I can get it!
Also, as Emily tries to stand using anything higher than the floor
to pull up (I once caught her trying to use a threshold as a climbing
rung - didn't get too far!), I have found that I need to survey what
things are around that can tip easily when she tries to pull up. She
almost tipped over a kitchen chair - but I can't really get rid of those!
Monica - about bookshelves - I think they're a particular favorite of
little climbers!
Karen
|
| 432.24 | Attach bookshelves to the wall | GAVEL::SATOW | | Thu Jan 28 1993 12:29 | 6 |
| re: bookshelves
If you're concerned about a bookshelf tipping over, screw it into the wall.
Use screw anchors or "molly bolts."
Clay
|
| 432.25 | n | RICKS::PATTON | | Thu Jan 28 1993 13:55 | 13 |
| An addendum to Clay's note about attaching bookshelves to the wall.
If the baseboards prevent a bookcase from sitting flush against
the wall, you can use an L-shaped angle bracket. Screw one side to
the bookcase and one side to the wall. You may have to use a
molly or screw anchor to provide a secure base for the screw that
goes into the wall; preferably that screw should go into a stud.
About toilet lid-locks - we have one and use it. However, nothing
substitutes for supervision -- someone is always forgetting to
lock the lid-lock after using the toilet.
Lucy
|
| 432.26 | be careful with flamables & furnace | SALES::LTRIPP | | Fri Feb 19 1993 12:16 | 50 |
| Here's what I remember as "problem" areas for crawlers and early
walkers....
The one reply that stands out is Monica's, DON'T put chemicals, paints,
solvents and such in such close proximity to your furnace or boiler!
You really are asking for trouble should your furnace malfunction.
Better yet, go to your local "dime store" or hardware store and buy one
of the oldfashion metal storage cabinets, or a cheap two drawer file
cabinet and keep flamables in those. All this comes from being married
to a firefighter. There have been many homes destroyed that could
have been salvaged if flamables had been stored AWAY from the furnace
and hot water heater! FWIW, we keep ours in what might be described as
a broom closet just inside the back door, on the very top shelf. I'm
5'2" and can just about reach the cleaning things. Spray paints and
the like are stored in a closed cabinet on the opposite, unheated part
of the cellar from the water heater (our heat is baseboard electric, so
no boiler or furnace to worry about). Extention cords are non existant
except for a couple of power strips with fuses used to power the
computer and printer, and the aquarium. Since hubby does safety and
fire prevention for this fine company, he MUST practice what he
preaches!
We also kept the cat food up in a cabinet until we felt AJ was old
enough to feed the cats himself. It is now his job to feed the cats.
We never had a problem with the stove or toilet, but did use little
inside the cabinet type clips to keep the cabinets closed. They came
from toys R Us, a straight white plastic piece that screws onto the
door, you have to push down on the clip to open the cabinet. I've left
the ones on the bathroom, even though he's 6, as a reminder that he
ought not be in that cabinet with the bathroom cleaners and all the
nail polish remover and such. Plus my younger cat has a fasination
with getting into cabinets.
We were very lucky in the sense of never needing gates. We used a
chain lock to keep the cellar door just enough ajar so the cats could
get downstairs to use the litte pan, but it was shut tight when he was
cruising in his walker. Ever since he's been old enough to attempt the
stairs I've insisted that he use the handrail, he's been VERY good at
holding the railing. Thank heavens since the bottom of the cellar
stairs were cement then we covered it with ceramic tile last year when
we finished the cellar. He always so excited to take things down or
bring little things up. We store the household paper goods down there
and that's his job to take them down after shopping, or bring them up
when we need t-paper or paper towels.
I do like the idea of crawling around to see how it looks from a kid's
point of view.
Lyn
|
| 432.27 | furnace room | KAOFS::M_FETT | alias Mrs.Barney | Fri Feb 19 1993 15:52 | 11 |
| Just to clarify Lyn, we are NOT storing chemistry in the furnace room
(back room containing furnace, hotwater heater, washer, dryer and main
fuse/power panel). On the other side of our basement rec room, there is
a small separate "closet" if you will, where the old tank for said
furnace is. It is there, on the shelves beside the tank that we keep
all of our dangerous liquids, paints, etc. If the tank blows, a few
more gallons of chemistry won't make aaaaaany differnce! This room is
also good to lock, as I previously mentioned and divorced from any
other dangerous electically fed device aside from a light fixture.
Monica
|
| 432.28 | Built in safety | GVA05::BETTELS | Cheryl, DTN 821-4022, Management Systems Research | Sat Feb 20 1993 11:50 | 22 |
| Thought this might interest some of you.
We have oil underfloor heating in our house here in Switzerland. The
Swiss are both very safety conscious and environment conscious. Our
heating oil tank is in a separate room with only an access hole part
way up. It is specially painted to keep oil in. Therefore if the oil
leaks, it is contained in the room. There is no electricity in that
room.
Our furnace is also in a spearate room behind a fire door. We are
inspected from time to time and may not store anything flammable in
that room.
A chimney sweep comes once a year by law and cleans all our chimneys.
We have a wooden staircase leading to the upstairs. Originally the
design was an impregnated pine staircase. In Switzerland it had to be
made of solid oak which is a slower burning wood.
Our furnace could blow up and I'd doubt anyone would notice :-)
Cheryl
|
| 432.29 | | CALS::HEALEY | DTN 297-2426 | Mon Feb 22 1993 14:56 | 14 |
|
RE: Chain Locks for the cellar
That sounds like a good idea... my cats litter is in the cellar
as well. Only thing is, I have one fat cat that would never fit!
Do you (or anybody) know if you can get longer chains? The standard
opening is probably about 4 inches. I'd probably need 8 inches for
my fat cat. Could a child squeeze through this? An infant could,
I'm sure but a toddler?
Not that I have any kids yet but I like to be prepared!
Karen
|
| 432.30 | Ok I wasn't thinking, so sorry | SALES::LTRIPP | | Mon Feb 22 1993 15:21 | 20 |
| Monica, sorry I guess I sounded a bit harsh. please accept my
apologies for the proverbial open mouth, insert foot.
As for another, I sort of wihs I lived in Switzerland, it sounds like
they've really got the heating thing quite well thought out. Plus I
like the idea of having someone clean my chimney automatically, instead
of trying to track someone down by word or mouth, or local home show.
(which is the way we found ours).
as for.29, I don't see why you couldn't extend the chain to say 6". I
do know what you mean by your "fat cat", but you may be surprised how
small a space these felines can get through. Is the cat really fat, or
just very fluffy? I don't think I'd do much more than six inches
though with a little one. I just tried to keep the door shut enough so
that he couldn't open it while he was in the walker, and tumble down
that way.
Talk about trying to stay one step ahead (Literally) of these kids!
Lyn
|
| 432.31 | | CALS::HEALEY | DTN 297-2426 | Mon Feb 22 1993 18:23 | 15 |
|
re: Lyn
>>Is the cat really fat, or just very fluffy?
Well, he weighs 20 lbs and looks like a bowling ball! 8-)
I can test how large an area he can squeeze through by
using the sliding glass door. Then, find a chain to
fit. I could also use a gate as well.
I'm jumping the gun as usual. This shouldn't be a
concern for me for at least a couple of years!
Karen
|
| 432.32 | cat door | MPGS::SCHWARTZ | | Tue Feb 23 1993 14:21 | 7 |
| Karen,
We solved the fat cat/cellar/baby-proof problem by installing
a "cat door" (the indoor/outdoor kind) in the cellar door. We just
keep the cellar door closed all the time. It works great.
Stephanie
|
| 432.33 | | NODEX::PINCK::GREEN | Long Live the Duck!!! | Thu Jan 26 1995 15:44 | 10 |
|
Do people think of the Glider chairs are child
safe? We were going to buy one but started thinking
of a little one getting her fingers caught in the
mechanisms in the bottom. We want our house to be as
childproof as possible... especially the new babies room
where this chair will be. We could always go for my
mom's traditional rocker instead.
Amy
|
| 432.40 | Locks for toilet bowls? | MKOTS1::MCCABE | | Thu Jan 26 1995 15:58 | 6 |
| Does anyone have a recommendation on what to use to secure the toilet
bowl cover? I just bought some "potty locks" at Toys R Us but they do
not fit our elongated bowls.
Thanks,
Laurie
|
| 432.34 | No problems with our glider | ASIC::MYERS | | Thu Jan 26 1995 16:04 | 19 |
| I have a rocker and a glider. The rocker is in our spare room and the
glider is in our daughter's room.
We have never had any problems with her sticking her fingers into the
gliding mechanism. When she was a crawler she'd reach up for the chair
pad and pull herself up that way, however, she never spent much time
playing in her room, we were always downstairs. Even now, as a toddler
and in her own bed, she's never shown any inclination to stick her
fingers in the bottom. She's probably too busy figuring out how to
stack her toys together so that she can climb up ontop of her dresser
to reach stuff =8()
I prefer the glider over the rocker for comfort, especially while
nursing. Number 2 is due in a few months and I'll leave the glider in
the nursery and move the rocker into the "big girl" room. Although,
maybe I can drop enough hints and get a new glider, hmmmmmmm.
/Susan
|
| 432.35 | My glider experiences | MAYES::HILL | | Thu Jan 26 1995 16:05 | 20 |
| RE: Do people think of the Glider chairs are child safe?
I bought one for my first baby. I loved it in the baby's room and even
as Andrew got to the walking stages, I had no problem, primarily
because I was usually in the room with him at that age and he was my
only child at the time. Second son comes along, Andrew is 2 1/2 year
older than Kevin, and again, I love the glider in the new baby's room,
for rocking holding and feeding. I would buy one again. The only
problem with child safety and the glider is now not with the glider.
Kevin, is at the pulling up to stand and cruising stages. Not a big
deal even leaning on the glider. He likes the little motion he gets by
leaning on it. The safety problem is big brother Andrew! He likes to
push the glider or swing it by hand even if his brother is leaning on
it! The result without Mommy intervention, Kevin goes BOOM!
So, I'd buy one anyway, just watch out when/if child #2 comes along!!
Beth
|
| 432.36 | I opted for the glider | STAR::MRUSSO | | Thu Jan 26 1995 16:46 | 18 |
| I have a glider rocker and I love it for comfort. It is not one of
the typical ones that I've seen around. It is made by S. Bent. There
is nothing in the workds under it that could pinch a child or harm
them that is obvious to me. I never leave the baby to play near it
anyway because of the motion aspect of it.
It's kind of funny because I opted for the glider because I thought it
was safer that the traditional kind of rocker. We had one in the
family room when I was growing up and someone was always getting
thier fingers or toes pinched under it when it was in use. There is
usually a lot more activity and play in a family room than in the
nursery however.
Nothing is ever completely safe...
Mary
|
| 432.37 | | CDROM::BLACHEK | | Thu Jan 26 1995 16:54 | 17 |
| We have a glider in the family room and a traditional type in the
baby's room. I have to echo the comments here, the only time it has
been a problem is when the baby is cruising the furniture (which he is
doing now at nearly 8 months). He just doesn't get it that he cannot
use it as a steady surface.
It is also a problem when my older daughter (4-1/2) rocks too
vigorously and makes the glider nearly tip, but that's another story
and she is being more careful, with the baby around.
I'd suggest putting the glider where you'll nurse most often. For me
that was the family room. But I like to rock anytime, so it's great to
use when I watch TV or talk to my husband. (Let's see, that's happened
about 5 times in the last 8 months.)
judy
|
| 432.38 | | TLE::C_STOCKS | Cheryl Stocks | Thu Jan 26 1995 21:21 | 12 |
| >> use when I watch TV or talk to my husband. (Let's see, that's happened
>> about 5 times in the last 8 months.)
Wow, Judy, you've talked to your husband 5 times in the last 8 months? Another
thing for me to be jealous of! :)
I also love my glider, and it never was a safety hazard for the kids when
they were babies, but I did have to move it so that its back was about 4 inches
from the wall when they got older and started climbing up the back of it...
(love that monkey stage...)
cheryl
|
| 432.41 | | FABBIT::J_MAXIM | | Fri Jan 27 1995 07:15 | 2 |
| Try velcro/tape, or something like that.
|
| 432.39 | One more vote for a glider | CLOUD9::WEIER | Patty, DTN 381-0877 | Fri Jan 27 1995 15:33 | 17 |
|
I had a rocker and didn't use it much because when I sit back to hold
the baby, my feet couldn't touch the floor (I'm 5'3") unless I REALLY
strained, and if I strained, my legs would fall asleep.
A few weeks ago, my sister was sitting in the bentwood, holding her
baby, and her 2 year old (Emma) was besidethe rocker, asking for
something. My sister got up to help Emma, and at exactly the same
moment, Emma stepped behind the chair. When my sister got up, the chair
swung backwards, and the top of the back of the chair whacked Emma in
the forehead and knocked her right on her butt. She was NOT happy!
Ouch!
I don't think a glider swings back as far or quickly as a regular
rocker.
|
| 432.42 | Recliners from H*ll. | ALFA2::PEASLEE | | Wed Mar 22 1995 14:07 | 12 |
| Since my 7 month old daughter is now crawling and standing up, I am in
the process of babyproofing the house.
There is one item that has me worried. We have a sofa and loveseat
that have recliner type mechanisms on each side of the furniture.
Ther is a great deal of space between the raised footrest an the floor
and there are the metal hinges to contend with as well.
I am ready to tie the footrests down so they can't be raised as a
precaution. Are there any alternatives?
How have others dealt with recliner mechanisms?
Nancy
|
| 432.43 | | CSC32::M_EVANS | proud counter-culture McGovernik | Wed Mar 22 1995 14:20 | 15 |
| the same way I handle recliners around puppies, and cats.
I try to pay attention to where they are, and if I don't see them and
know they are in the house, I don't put the foot thingie down if I have
it up. If you have guests that tend to be spacey about kids, steer
them away from the reclining chairs. (Generally people who haven't had
kids or small pets and a recliner in the same house)
If you are very concerned, you might want to tie them down till your
little is bigger, but my philosophy is that if the know it can do
something they will learn not to be under or in it. If they have no
exposure it will become something to be checked out when they find a
recliner at someone elses house, and the results could be disasterous.
meg
|