Babyproofing Challenges: Stone Fireplace

When faced with the prospect of babyproofing your home for the first time many are easy to take care of while some features in your home can present a unique challenge. For my family the biggest challenge was the hulking stone fireplace with uneven edges that dominated our living room. There are some great products on the market to cushion the hard edges of a fireplace, but most of them were created for straight edges.

Our first solution was to drape blankets and pillows over the edge of the fireplace, but our baby soon learned to pull these down, not to mention the fact it was a total eye sore. We tried putting up baby gates and declaring the TV room “off limits,” but that lasted all of two days.

Since straight sided hearth edge padding was not an option for us, nor was sealing off the room, that left us with a few choices. Either we could have a custom Hearth Pad created which covers the entire hearth or we could install a Fireplace Gate, which surrounds the entire fireplace. There are some great companies that create custom fireplace pads, but they can be pricey. Also, we wanted to be able to use our fireplace without removing the mat each time.

We decided that a gate around the hearth was the best option for preventing injuries. We were able to easily install it in an afternoon and enjoy a fire that evening without any worry. Although hearth mats and edge guards are great solutions for many homes, we decided that for our needs placing a gate around the fireplace worked best.

What about you, does your home have any unique challenges you faced when babyproofing? Did you find a solution?

Babyproofing Tips from Our Readers

While we here at Safe Start Baby are babyproofing experts, often times some of the best tips and tricks we hear are from parents. We thought we’d take the time to share some of these great babyproofing tips with you:

• “It may sound funny, but I found that the best way to evaluate any dangers was to crawl around on the floor at baby level, then toddler level, etc., to figure out where the problem areas are. You'll find stuff you wouldn't normally think of because you're not down there poking around like babies would be.”—Ari C., San Luis Obispo, CA
• “First and foremost - if you have any children, the most important thing is a smoke alarm/carbon monoxide alarm.”—Stacey M., Albuquerque, NM
• “When I was pregnant I asked a friend of mine to bring her daughter (at the time she was a year old and just learning to walk) and we let her roam free. What I learned was I needed cabinet locks, a toilet seat lock, and socket protectors. As someone else mentioned I left things he could play with lower like my plastic containers (which my son loved more than the toys we purchased). Once my son was born it was kind of learn as you go (i.e., he could open doors that I didn’t).”—Suzanne R., Annapolis, MD
• “If a room is off limits, use a safety gate to block access or use doorknob covers to prohibit knob turning. Speaking of doors, be sure to remove those little rubber tips from all doorstops as they pose a choking hazard. Secure all perimeter doors by installing out-of-reach deadbolts or chains to keep your baby safely inside the house.”—Dave L., Ann Arbor, MI
• “Houseplants may look innocent but some can cause nasty reactions in small children or babies. Ensure that your child cannot reach your indoor plants, and be sure that you know what they are in the case of your child ever accidentally ingesting one.”—Cam V., Fresno, CA

A big thank you to all of our fans and readers who submitted tips. Please feel free to leave a comment sharing any baby proofing tips you might have!