Disclosure: collaborative post
Moms look forward to tons of milestones in their child’s life. While first words and solid foods are exciting, one milestone tends to stand out — crawling, of course!
Crawling marks a significant step towards your baby’s independence. No longer do they have to rely on you to move around — they’re ready to do some exploring on their own!
As exciting as this change is, it can also be overwhelming. Need some guidance in this new chapter? See below for five things to do when your baby starts crawling.
1. Babyproof Your Home
It’s not like your kid is walking yet. And since you’re still monitoring them constantly, how much trouble could they really get into?
Even if you plan on watching them like a hawk, you should babyproof your home right away. Babies are notorious for getting into things they’re not supposed to.
Every family will benefit from simple strategies like safety baby magnetic cabinet locks. These mechanisms prevent your child from making a mess and accessing dangerous chemicals.
While babyproofing, you should also consider the unique layout of your home. For instance, if you have stairs or need to close off a certain room, invest in plenty of baby gates.
2. Use Caution When You’re Away From Home
You can babyproof the heck out of your own home. But what about when you visit a family member or friend?
If they don’t have little ones, there’s a good chance their space isn’t babyproofed. Thus, you need to use extra caution to ensure your child has fun and stays safe.
Start by doing a quick scan of the home. Rearrange furniture when possible, and remove any potential choking hazards. Most importantly, ensure a responsible adult is always watching your child.
3. Be Careful With Pets
Crawling babies want to explore everything. On their adventures, they might want to make your pet their new best friend!
Seeing the two of them together will be adorable. But while your baby has learned how to crawl, they haven’t yet learned the concept of personal space.
Your child might become overly excited and bother your pet. Unfortunately, even the most well-trained animals can have a snappy reaction. Play it safe by never leaving your child alone with your pet.
4. Be Prepared for Lots of Fights
Pets won’t be your baby’s only object of attention — they’ll also cling to their older siblings!
They’ll follow your kids around the house and even start to grab their toys. Naturally, this change can lead to frustration in your older children. Anticipate potential fights and prevent them by teaching everyone to play nice. Trust us — the lesson of sharing will take them far in life.
5. Adjust Normal Routines
Routines like bath time and diaper changes are never easy. But when your baby starts crawling, you’ll find these routines a lot more challenging!
All we can say is be prepared for lots of squirming and moving around. You can enlist a partner to help you out, but if you’re flying solo, distractions will be your best friend. Hang up a fun mobile or add plenty of toys to the bath!
One Last Tip: Grab Your Camera!
These tips should help you get through the exciting but exhausting crawling stages.
We’ll leave you with one last piece of advice: don’t get so caught up in the excitement that you forget to take pictures! Grab your camera and capture the memories while you can. After all, they’ll be walking before you know it.
Thank you for reading - if you enjoyed this content, please consider buying me a coffee here or browse my Amazon wishlist I really appreciate your support and it helps to keep the site running and for my time 🙂