How to Make Your Environment Baby and Child Safe When Working from Home

None of us realized how dangerous our own homes are until we had children. Maybe you didn’t get around to some of the baby/child proofing work you needed to because you’re always tending to your child at home – until now. Now you need uninterrupted time to make that zoom call and you have a whole lot of clutter with a living room that is now your office, classroom, and playground.

First off, deal with the cords. Cords are a common problem and can be a dangerous tripping hazard for you and your children (and can be a strangulation hazard for the kids). Be especially mindful of laptop cords extending from the sofa where you work on the coffee table or some other improvised work area.

Next, take stock of furniture that is a potential tipping hazard. This may not have been a priority with a baby but now that you’re concentrating on zoom with a toddler running around, check dressers, television stands, and bookshelves. Install furniture straps where you don’t have any. This will give you a bit of comfort knowing that your toddler won’t have heavy furniture falling on them if they try to climb up.

Scan your walls for power outlets while you’re doing a home safety check. If you removed safety protectors to plug that laptop or printer in, make sure to replace it when you’re done. You don’t want curious fingers to find their way into the outlet and get a shock. Make sure to not overload any one circuit with too many things plugged in. This is a fire hazard and something you don’t need interrupting your day.

Of course, you need to make sure you’re paying attention to your kids, as mom of two Monica Greco told Mom.com. “Our older child is very inquisitive, and we often found her in our temporary office room, sitting on the desk chair and pretending to work.” Even when you aren’t working, there’s a lot of new things to keep an eye out for.

Just because you are working from home doesn’t mean you don’t have COVID concerns. Aside from juggling the kids and your job duties, you need to make sure your family stays healthy. It’s everything that happens when you go to the grocery store, take the kids to the park, and try to enjoy some winter activities that put you at risk for COVID which will halt your ability to work or care for the kids.

There is a COVID surge happening this winter which makes it hard to get out of the house and enjoy any winter activities. Remember to wear your mask when out and maintain social distancing when around others. While it might not be ideal, this winter might be the season to have a Christmas movie marathon for the kids instead of going sledding. You’ll be able to work while they are enjoying holiday favorites.

Find a craft that the kids can work on in the kitchen while you work in the living room. Just make sure the craft has no choking hazards, is age-appropriate, and doesn’t require supervision to keep everyone safe. Keeping the kids in the house will reduce the chance of getting exposed to and contracting COVID. It may take some of the fun out of the holidays, but it’s better than being stuck in isolation with COVID.

Mom and sleep advocate, Lauren Levy reminds Mom.com readers to not let your baby sleep anywhere except their crib, bassinet, or play yard. “Your baby may fall asleep in a swing, for example, and that can be incredibly tempting to get work done, but it isn’t safe.” The bottom line is don’t try to cut corners because you’re working from home during COVID.

When doing the work-from-home thing, make sure you have a work schedule. It can be easy to try and juggle things all day long and “get back to work” having you work late into the evenings. Do your best to have the kids do work and school on a schedule while you do your work on a schedule too. You may need to make adjustments to a traditional schedule to accommodate helping kids with school, but for your own sanity, set work hours and walk away when you’re done.

This will help you unplug from your day and give the family some quality time needed in these trying times. Just because everyone is home together all day long doesn’t mean that all day is quality time. And don’t forget to include some self-care time in the mix where possible.

Unplugging is important to maintain health and safety because it helps reduce stress. When you reduce stress, you are more present during work and watching the kids. This means you maintain a healthier immune system to fight common ailments and COVID but also means you’re less likely to have accidents. You’ll also be better prepared to watch your kids and make sure they don’t have accidents in the house.