Babyproofing is a process of anticipating he often unexpected. When you leave the familiar environment of home and hit the road, a hotel room is an unprepared and uncontrolled space to manage.
They are certainly not decorated with little ones in mind!
Dangers are lurking in all corners of your room, and you want to make sure your baby stays safe while you are all having fun.
While you cannot guarantee that you can make your hotel room as safe as you have made your home, there are things you can do to ensure the safety of your child with little work for you.
Call Your Accomodation
The first thing you should do is call the hotel first. They should be able to give you some insight into the rules and regulations that are in place.
There may be certain standards that the rooms need to meet to be considered safe for children, which can save you a lot of hassle if most of the baby proofing is already done.
You should also ask if there are any rules against childproofing some things yourself, particularly if you are going to be taping furniture.
It would be very unfortunate if you were to leave some sticky residue on a bedside table and be charged a fee for cleaning or replacement.
Finally, ask about their cleaning procedures, particularly when it comes to bedding and carpets.
If the carpets are not cleaned regularly, or if the hotel staff only washed sheets and not the comforters, you could be exposing your little one to a lot of nasty germs.
6 Hotel Hazards to Babyproof
Once you have your questions answered, you can plan on what to pack to help with childproofing your hotel room.
If you do not want to worry about tons of outlet covers to remember when you leave or corner protectors on furniture, keep it simple and just bring a roll of painter’s tape.
It is easy to peel up, with little to no residue, and you will be surprised by the number of things you can baby proof with it.
1. Sharp Corners
Furniture corners can do major damage to little ones if they were to fall on them.
Move as much as you can away from the area that your little one will be playing or sleeping to avoid as many injuries as possible.
Place pillows on bedside tables if your baby will be sleeping in the bed with you, and use your painters tape to create a cushion to dull the corners of furniture you cannot move.
2. Electrical Outlets
Wall outlets are tempting for little fingers, and a shock from one can seriously injure your little one, by burning or something worse.
Instead of using a bunch of outlet covers, use your painter’s tape to cover the outlets that are exposed.
Most little ones will not even notice that there is something there and you will get rid of the temptation for little fingers and objects to insert themselves into the holes.
3. Cabinets & Drawers
Pinched fingers are no fun, for both baby and parent.
You likely have safety latches installed in your own home on your cabinet doors and drawers to avoid finger pinching, but in a hotel room, you do not have many options.
Your painter’s tape can come in handy here too.
Simply tape the drawers and cabinet doors shut so that they cannot be opened and allowed to trap little fingers.
4. Germs
Likely the biggest thing on a parent’s mind when it comes to hotel rooms are the germs that can be found lurking in many places.
While there may not be much that you can do in the way of childproofing when it comes to this subject, you can take precautions to ensure your little one is exposed to these germ-infested areas as little as possible.
Start by moving all trash cans out of sight and reach of your child.
You can also bring Lysol wipes or disinfecting spray with you to wipe down the hard surfaces of your room.
Finally, avoid letting your baby crawl or play on the carpet, which can not only save her from germs but also from any small objects that may be hiding under furniture.
5. Balcony Rails
It may seem like a no-brainer, but you should take every precaution possible to prevent your little one from venturing onto the balcony.
Keep all doors and windows locked and latched, and move any furniture away that may be nearby so that little daredevils cannot climb up to a window.
6. Falling Objects
Finally, you should make sure that no objects can fall on your child and cause serious injury.
Move heavy items away from the edge, and if anything can be pulled down by a cord (like electrical appliances), the cords should be tucked away out of sight and reach.
Final Word
Babyproofing your hotel room does not have to be a hassle. A little effort to anticipate potential issues will go a long way.
With a couple of easy changes and two eyes on your baby, your hotel room can be safe and fun for the whole family.
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