The Parenting Journal

Room by Room
How to Baby Proof Your Basement: Stairs Storage and Hidden Hazards

How to Baby Proof Your Basement: Stairs Storage and Hidden Hazards

Basements are where the hazards your child will find fastest are the ones you forgot were there. The half-empty jug of driveway sealer. The old shelving unit that wobbles if you look at it wrong. The sump pit you covered...

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How to Baby Proof Your Dining Room: High Chairs Tables and Breakables

How to Baby Proof Your Dining Room: High Chairs Tables and Breakables

The dining room doesn’t look dangerous. That’s the problem. There’s no open water, no stairs, no obvious drop. What there is: hard edges at exactly toddler-head height, a tablecloth a curious two-year-old can yank with both fists, glassware at arm’s...

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How to Baby Proof Your Laundry Room: Detergent Machines and Hot Surfaces

How to Baby Proof Your Laundry Room: Detergent Machines and Hot Surfaces

The laundry room is one of the most hazardous rooms in your home, and it rarely makes the top of the babyproofing list. In my experience, parents spend hours on nursery safety and cabinet locks in the kitchen, then leave...

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How to Baby Proof Your Home Office: Cords Desks and Small Hazards

How to Baby Proof Your Home Office: Cords Desks and Small Hazards

The home office is one of the most dangerous rooms in the house for a toddler, and most parents don’t realize it until something goes wrong. I learned this the hard way when my younger daughter, at around 18 months,...

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Inflatable Pool Safety: Backyard Water Play Without the Risk

Inflatable Pool Safety: Backyard Water Play Without the Risk

Every summer, a brightly colored inflatable pool appears in backyards across the country, and with it comes a risk that most parents underestimate. These aren’t deep pools. They aren’t complicated. They look like toys. But drowning is the leading cause...

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Room by Room
A white crib with a bare mattress along a side wall, set to one side of a window fitted with a cordless shade

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Baby Sleep Safety: SIDS Prevention and Safe Nursery Setup

Baby Sleep Safety: SIDS Prevention and Safe Nursery Setup

SIDS Prevention and Safe Nursery Setup

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Toilet Lid Lock: How to Keep Curious Toddlers Out of the Bowl

How to Keep Curious Toddlers Out of the Bowl

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Room by Room
How to Baby Proof a Garage: Chemicals Tools and Door Safety

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