If you want to use a high chair with your young baby, be sure to purchase a reclining high chair or low chair. Reclining chairs support little bodies, and are the only chairs that should be used before a baby can sit up alone. Reclining chairs allow you and your baby to gaze at each other – a delightful part of the bonding process. Babies should be stable sitters before being placed in non-reclining high chairs. This means they should be able to hold their heads and spines up by themselves. Many babies begin to sit up between four and six months of age. This creates a perfect match of child development and parenting because it is the same age range the American Academy of Pediatricians recommends for starting solid foods. Using a high chair at this age gives you freedom of movement while you help your child discover healthy first foods. Many parents also wipe their babies’ gums or brush their toddlers’ teeth while children sit in their high chairs. Using your high chair for several tasks makes it easier to care for your baby.

As your child grows, they’ll love to peek at the world outside. Be sure that toddlers cannot open any window more than four or five inches. If you have windows in your home that fling wide open, secure them with window locks that allow only a few inches of opening. This allows air to circulate, but keeps your child safely inside.

It is important to note that the necessity of window locks extends even to windows with screens. Although a screen may provide a visual barrier, they can easily be pushed out by small children and may result in an accident. Windows that act as emergency exits should not have an additional lock installed. These should stay locked with their standard equipment and not be opened except in the event of an emergency.

Remotes are extraordinarily fun things for your toddler to play with. There are many bright, fun little buttons to press and chew on. Therefore, make sure remote controls are stowed away securely or placed high out of your baby’s reach.

Placing TVs, cable boxes, and other devices into an entertainment center with doors is effective. Close the entertainment center and use an appliance lock to keep it shut when curious toddlers are in the home.