Yes Environment

[darbycrash]

I would appreciate some resources or advice about setting up a safe "yes" environment for our soon to be 1 YO. He has recently started a version of crawling (more like "scooting") and has been cruising for a few weeks. We got outlet covers and furniture corner cushions along with doorknob bafflers and cabinet/drawer locks for the kitchen (and an oven door lock).

We live with the In-laws so my co-parent (husband) and I will be installing most of the safety items tomorrow. I got a few things online (an anti-tip for the FIL flatscreen TV which I detest but I digress) so they should be here in a week. 

Here's a caveat though: my in laws watch baby while we're at work during the week and they are both disabled. My MIL more so than my FIL who can still carry baby but has back problems. So although there is a school of thought that you should just teach your baby how to get up and down the stairs instead of putting up a baby gate, I don't thin it would be appropriate given our living arrangements.

We "live" downstairs in a split level home in what would normally be considered a "den." Our bed is here (we cosleep) and our computer (I'll be getting a free standing play yard to block off the computer desk when payday rolls around) and my stereo and records.

If anyone else is a record collector (or has a partner that does) I'd love to hear how you baby-proofed the records and stereo. I have a small two tier shelf that I was going to bungee a baby gate to so he couldn't get to the actual albums but I could just unhook to access. The overflow records are going in plastic milk crates but I'm not sure how to completely baby proof those. I think the crates would be better than having the big wobbly shelf from Ikea I used BC in our apartment.   If I can't babyproof my crates they'll go into the upstairs bedroom that has our desks and my sewing table and books which I call the Study and is off limits to baby.

Thanks!

[katelove]

Sounds like you've thought of most things. We put a gate on the bathroom door as the bathroom contained the nappy buckets and kitty litter tray. We also gated the kitchen to block access to the front door which had a cat flap. Other than that we just moved precious things out of reach/sight.

[nd_deadhead]

Whenour twins were toddlers, we refered to our decorating style as "naked house syndrome." Everything that wasn't nailed down (knick-knacks, plants, my grandmother's antique wall mirror) got put in the spare bedroom. When you have two going in opposite directions, you have to double-proof!

I see no problem with gating stairs or putting valuables out of reach. Ultimately your child will learn how to manage these things, but for now, he is exploring, learning, and has very little impulse control - it is unreasonable to expect him to understand that your cool things are not for him to play with.

There is plenty of time for him to learn to negotiate stairs. When our sons were starting to figure them out, we would put the gate up a couple of steps, so they could practice climbing up and down, without going all the way up.

Putting the records in a different room makes sense. Can you put your stereo on a high shelf?

My best advice for that age (and for the next few years) is to phrase things as "do" statements instead of don't.  "Sit on your bottom" instead lf "Don't stand on the chair"; "Just to look at" instead of "don't touch". It takes a little practice to get in the habit, but it really works.

[luckiest]

"if it isn't for play, put it away."

That's my best advice for creating a yes environment. We've adopted a bit of a minimalist lifestyle since our super high energy and curious babe started cruising. He wants to touch everything he sees, so if he can't have it, it's out of sight. If he gets hold of something he shouldn't have, it's my fault for leaving it out. We have no plants, no knick-knacks, records are on a top shelf, we all use plastic dishes. Saves everyone a lot of angst.