Beautiful Bea is 7 months old

She started sitting independently at 5 months

Crawling at 6

She is now starting to stand at every opportunity

And will soon I am certain be cruising the furniture

It has all happened so fast

And we are in no way prepared

Tilda sat early but she did not crawl until the day she died

Aged 9 months

Esther and William were older still

Because of their prematurity

This is something new

Bea is something else!

She is a big, strong baby

She is a power house

And it is easy to forget how very young and fragile she is

She moves fast and she is determined to lay her hands on all the things she cannot have

Because she is so young

She does not have the language to tell us what she is trying to do

Where she is trying to go

She does not really understand caution or danger

There is a lot of miscommunication going on!

Before kitting her out in a safety helmet and protective pads

Or putting her in a cage

There are more measured approaches we can try

To baby proof our home

The average age for a baby to start crawling is 8 months

So Baby Bea being only just 6 months

Has taken us a little by surprise

Really you should prepare your home

Before your baby is on the move

Here are some of the things you can do

To keep your baby safe once they are on the move

Keep the floor clear of small items, babies will put anything and everything into their mouths. Small items can be a choking hazard.

Make sure wires are not trailing or left exposed. Use cable ties to keep wires together tidily. Keep wires out of babies reach.

Make sockets safe. We try to cover our sockets with furniture rather than using socket covers as there are some doubts over the safety of the covers.

Do not put hot drinks in baby’s reach and not near the edge of tables. Once babies are cruising they will be able to reach low tables and knock drinks off.

Use door stops or a wedge to keep doors open and protect little fingers.

Use window locks especially on any windows baby and other children can reach or climb to.

Install a fireguard. We have a large one that means Bea is kept away from the heat of the fire and also the hard unforgiving corners of the hearth.

Put locks on cupboards and drawers that contain dangerous items.

Secure furniture so that baby cannot pull it over on to themselves or others.

Check any blind cords and chains are out of reach.

Do not leave your baby unattended.

These are just some of the precautions you can take to protect your baby at home

David and I took special care to make Esther and William’s bedroom as safe as possible

Now we are doing the same for Bea

I would love to know your top tips for babyproofing your home

Is it possible to prevent accidents with a very young crawling baby

Or should I invest in one of these?

For more tips on babyproofing your home you can check out Baby Centre

Wondering whether babyproofing is worth it? Read ROSPA here

If you decide that babyproofing is for you, check out Lindam for a wide range of safety products for your home