Q: Which products did you appreciate the most when your child first started crawling?
CARRIE: I babyproofed my house completely before my son began to crawl. He started crawling at 13 mos and walking at 15 mos and in those first few months I most appreciated my gates (I use Stairway Special gates) and the corner and edge cushions on my coffee tables and end tables. I also love my Jack Mat Hearth Pad. It completely covers the top of the fireplace hearth, which is in my family room. I would be a nervous wreck if I didn't have that. And my electrical Safe Plates I never think about until I go to a playdate at a house that doesn't have them and then I really appreciate them. And now my daughter has started crawling so I have a renewed appreciation for living in a babyproofed house!
AMY: When my daughter first started crawling I was so thankful for the corner and edge cushions on my coffee table. There were many occasions when she was pulling up on furniture to cruise around and bonked her head on the cushions. If those cushions weren't there, there would have been a lot more tears shed. Also, I was so glad I installed the latches throughout my kitchen because she was constantly trying to open them to pull out everything on the floor. After a while of trying and not being able to access the glassware and serrated edges of aluminum foil, she eventually stopped trying which made my life so much easier. She was then able to tackle her toys rather than the cabinets! The gates on the bottom as well as the top of the stairs were a given. Not having to turn around every two seconds was a blessing. My daughter was also obsessed with the toilet. It was a race to see if she could get to the toilet before I had time to put the grocery bags down! She thought it was her personal pool (gross!). I installed the toilet lid locks as soon as she started crawling.
Q: Now that your children are walking which products do you most need?
CARRIE: Personally, I don't know how I would get by without my Top of Door Locks. I like that they can be locked or unlocked from either side of the door so adults can't be locked out. I also love that they're at the top of the door so kids can't unlock them and unlike plastic doorknob covers, they're unnoticeable. I keep medicines in the bathroom closets so Top of Door Locks are imperative on those doors. Honestly, I have them on almost every door in the house so I can use them as needed. At the moment I really need the ones I have on my first floor bathroom door and pantry door. Without them my son would be playing with the hand soap and goldfish all day long!
Also, two products that are must-haves for me are furniture straps and window guards. The injuries that can result from furniture tipping or a fall from a window are just not something I'm willing to risk.
AMY: Now that my daughter is 2 _ years I still use all these products and find myself installing even more as she gets older. When I recently transitioned my daughter to a "big girl" bed, I installed top of door locks on every door outside her room and strapped all the furniture that was added to her room with the furniture wall brackets. Now that she can get in and out of her bed on her own, it is imperative that I feel secure knowing that her bookcase or dresser will not tip over if she tries climbing them. I've also added more magnetic Tot-Locks to my cabinets in areas where she has been able to defeat the traditional push down latch. The last thing I need is permanent black marker all over my freshly painted walls!
Q: You started Heart & Home in 2002, 4 years before having kids. Have your perspectives changed since then?
CARRIE: I can honestly say that everything I've recommended to parents over the years I truly believe in. That's why I followed my own advice to the letter when I babyproofed my own house. There isn't one thing that I suggest to parents that I didn't do in my own house. The only difference now is that I truly understand that visceral feeling that comes from being concerned and sometimes downright worried about your child. That's a feeling that only a parent can understand and relating to clients like that makes me love my job even more.
AMY: We've always tested products ourselves before recommending them to parents, but now that process is even more comprehensive because my little "quality assurance technician" is always on the job! It's always a great feeling when a client is grateful and often relieved after I've childproofed their house. Now I have that same appreciation because I don't have to say "no" to my daughter as often. And I can feel comfortable allowing my daughter to explore with less risk of injury due to the products in place. With the house babyproofed I don't have to fight as many battles. I don't have to argue over whether she can have that handful of animal crackers because she just can't get to them.
Q: Are there any products that you're surprised you use or need?
CARRIE: Actually, I advise clients not to worry about using a refrigerator lock unless the need arises. Well, the need definitely arose in my house about one week after my daughter was born! While I was nursing my daughter my son would just take whatever he fancied out of the refrigerator. While it wasn't dangerous, per se, it was annoying as heck, particularly when I'd find slices of cheese lying around the house! He's almost three now and I still don't know what I'd do without my fridge lock! Also, not long after his 2nd birthday I added corner cushions to the underside of my kitchen island. My son bounces off those things at top speed on a regular basis and when he does I'm just so glad they're there. One day he pulled them all off and I procrastinated for a few days before replacing them. During that time he hit his head a few times and I finally had enough and put new ones on.
AMY: I don't generally recommend finger-pinch guards for doors unless a client specifically asks about them. But I did put one on my daughter's bedroom door when she was crawling because she was fascinated with the door hinges and I was afraid if her fingers were pinched in the closing door she could really get hurt.
Q: Has anything about the babyproofing of your house changed since you had baby #2?
CARRIE: I never recommend that parents take a "wait and see" approach to babyproofing so I did all my babyproofing before my first child even started crawling. So when my second child came along everything was already in place. The only things I needed to do was babyproof her bedroom (which, I will confess, prior to her birth was an off-limits junk room) and I did add fridge lock and a few more Top of Door Locks. I liked going into "lock down mode" when my baby was a newborn and nursing sessions seemed to take forever. It was difficult to have a 23 month old on the loose while I was confined to the couch for long periods of time. Having the house babyproofed, gates and doors locked really helped.
Q: Are there any areas of your house that are off-limits to your children?
CARRIE: Yes - the garage, the unfinished side of the basement, the master bath, and my home office. For awhile my husband wanted to keep the master bedroom off-limits but it just wasn't feasible so I babyproofed that room too.
AMY: My home isn't big enough for me to make any areas off-limits, which makes babyproofing even more essential because I want to give my daughter the freedom to play and explore without limitations, but do so safely.
