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Do I Have To?
Like I mentioned, I never really intended to childproof our marble coffee table. Call me naive, but I didn’t think it would pose a problem once Ben learned how to walk confidently. I thought that while Ben learned to walk and was uneasy on his feet, we would move the table out of the way or play downstairs more often.
During the “learning-to-walk stage” Ben loved holding onto the table and walked around it over and over and over again. As he progressed walking, we simply pushed it in front of the fireplace and played with Ben’s toys right in the middle of the room. That way he could practice walking in a big space and we could all get on the floor and play with him. I never felt nervous about this setup because it totally worked.To Childproof or Not To Childproof
Meanwhile, my mom was gently urging me to childproof the table, which was so unlike her. She never urges me to do anything and is always so supportive of whatever I do when it comes to parenting. But obviously, she felt uneasy about the marble table because this was one thing she so kindly, but persistently, inquired about often.
I acknowledged her concerns but kept reassuring her that everything would be okay! Ben had learned how to walk and wasn’t so uneasy on his feet anymore. “He’ll be fiiiinnnneeeee, mom”. But she persisted.Moms Know Best!!
Fast forward a day or two after I submitted my order and Ben and I are sitting in the family room. He’s standing at the table while holding onto it– all very normal. He lets go of the table and sits down very slowly, still all very normal. But this time he clips his chin on the table on the way down to the floor.
He starts to cry, but even so, I’m still not overly concerned at this point because we all know babies get bumps and bruises all. the. time. I scoop him up and start giving him cuddles to calm him down. He looks at me and I notice he has blood coming from his mouth. My heart immediately sank and my usual calm, laid-back demeanor changed in an instant.
Are teeth missing? Did he bite his tongue?! Does he need stitches in his mouth?! Where is the blood coming from?!!
Fast forward a few minutes and everything turned out to be okay. His teeth must have hit the top of his mouth, causing a tiny cut on the roof of his mouth that was bleeding. But I realized at that moment that things could have turned a lot worse. And this wasn’t even an out-of-the-ordinary moment. What happens when he starts running? jumping? wrestling? As always, my mom was right all along and I suddenly could not be more grateful for her gentle persistence. We needed to childproof our table AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
Surprise!
Childproofing A Coffee Table
I wish I had photos but I was so focused on getting the table childproofed before Ben got up from his nap that I didn’t even think about it.Better Safe Than Sorry
Obviously, Ben’s safety is my number one priority, and at the end of the day, the style isn’t important. But finding a solution that didn’t look super tacky seemed like a huge bonus, which is why I wanted to share this product (not sponsored) here on the blog.
I really loved that these guards camouflage with the room. They’re perfect, but they’re closer than I ever expected. Plus, they were under $25 and I still have leftovers for any other childproofing needs that may pop up. And I also saw that these come in several other colors!Lesson Learned
I think we can all agree that everyone has to do what they feel comfortable with when it comes to childproofing. But knowing that there are affordable solutions out there that can keep your little one safe and can camouflage with your home’s decor makes me extra happy. It’s a win-win, right?!
If you guys recommend any other products when it comes to childproofing, let me know! I have a feeling this isn’t my last adventure in childproofing…
Bridget
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