The Problem
As soon as your little one gets on the move you will start to notice, and no doubt worry about, those hard sharp corners and edges around the home. Coffee tables, fireplace edges, kitchen units, the list goes on and on. Every room is suddenly full of potential hazards.
Finding a solution may seem a little overwhelming at first. After all, getting rid of all your furniture, your shower unit, your kitchen cupboards etc etc just isn’t an option! You do need to take some action though.
Be prepared. It may be that one or two items will have to be moved, or stored elsewhere for a while. When our twins first started to crawl, we soon realised that our glass coffee table ‘was just too big and too dangerous to keep in the living room and there was nowhere else in the house to put it. So, the glass table is on now on long loan to a relative.
The Solution
However, don’t despair, most items can be made safe quickly and easily with the help of a few cheap products. Perhaps one of the best value for money solutions I have found are simple foam strips and corners which can be cut to size and stuck around the offending corners and edges. These are easy to use and do the job well. I’ve found them especially useful around the edges of marble fireplaces but they are also great on kitchen units.
The foam edges seem to stay stuck down pretty well. Unbelievably none of our 3 little kids have ever tried peeling them off – bonus! The foam corners do take more wear and tear and sometimes fall off but they are easily stuck back on with an extra bit of the sticky backing provided. This can be a minor inconvenience but is a much better option than a child with a cut head.
I have also tried the clear, solid plastic corners as an alternative. These are a little more attractive/ less noticeable. However, they also can fall off after a while and are less easy to stick back on than the foam version. For some reason our kids have been more tempted to pull at these! Maybe the best option is to get a selection of both types and see what works best for you.
My recommended products are: