Parenting Tips for Your 5 Month Old Baby
Your baby wants to move, climb, open things, and poke around in small spaces. She does not understand how dangerous things can be.
There are many reasons to baby proof your house:
- It helps your baby avoid accidents and injuries.
- It gives your baby a large area to safely explore, which helps her learn.
- You won’t have to keep saying no.
- It keeps your valued items safe.
How to baby proof:
- Get down on the floor and crawl around. Look carefully at everything in the rooms where your baby goes. Create a safe area for your baby to play.
- Cover all electrical outlets.
- Move cleaning products onto high, out-of-reach shelves.
- Put small items such as matches, nails, and tiny beads out of sight.
- Move chemicals such as cleaning products and bug killers to high, out-of-reach shelves.
- Keep all medicines out of reach.
- Install childproof locks on cabinets that hold items you don’t want your baby to have.
- Use new gates to block off stairs and other places you don’t want your baby to play. Old-fashioned accordion gates are dangerous. Your baby can be trapped in the gate.
Until you have a safe play area, borrow or buy a playpen or new gate. Playpens work well with some babies, while other babies cry the minute they’re put into one. If you do use a playpen, be sure it has a spring lock and no hinges or joints that can pinch tiny fingers. Do not keep your baby in the playpen long; she will get tired of it and it keeps her from safely exploring and learning.
Learn more about Your 5 Month Old Baby from Just In Time Parenting. You can also go to our Resource Links for additional information on child care and development.
