The child had a nasty shock when he poked the fork, tine first, into a convenience outlet. He’s out of danger now, but has to spend a couple of days in the hospital for observation. As a close family friend, you came over to visit, and to give him his favorite Lambert the Lamb toy. From that experience you realized how easily the accident could have been prevented had mom only anticipated the danger uncovered convenience outlets pose to children. You resolve to make Choosing Gifts a thing of the past. Henceforth, you will make a lovely engraved set of handy accident-prevention measures your standard get-well-soon and baby shower gift.

Indeed the best get-well-soon gift is one that’ll make unnecessary the need for it in the first place. Lambert the Lamb Get-Well Baskets or Lavender Vanilla Bath Baskets are perfect ways to show your concern and good wishes, but a more practical gift would be a set of reminders designed to avoid accidents.

Because of lack of judgment brought about by their tender age, babies are especially prone to accidents. Everywhere that baby stays is a potential disaster waiting to happen. Here are some accident-prevention tips you can gift mom to help her child-proof her home. Once she has these in place, there’ll probably be no need for well get-well gifts anymore.

· From time to time, check all baby equipment for anything that’s broken or missing. Stop using anything that is.

· You’ll be surprised at how fast baby grows. As soon as the child displays some ability to climb out of his crib, mom should stop using the crib regardless of the child’s age. For instance, he may be only 11 months old, but if he seems to be finding ways to climb out of his crib, or has actually done it, take him off the crib. Use instead a bed with child railings, or place the mattress on the floor. Do remember to keep the child’s bed away from curtains, blinds, wall hanging, table lamps, floor lamps, or anything that may topple over and hurt him. Similarly, keep him away from electric cords and convenience outlets. Use retractable cords and cover the convenience outlets.

· The crib mattress should be firm and should fit the crib snugly. If any gap shows between the mattress and the crib sides, check whether it’s the crib or the mattress which is non-standard. The crib should measure 28 +/- 5/8 inches wide and 52.3/8 +/- 5/8 inches long.

· Clear a path for yourself when entering baby’s room at night by keeping furniture and toys off an imaginary path from the door to baby’s crib. Make sure that rugs have non-skid backing or are secured with double-sided tape so no edges stick up.

· Install a gate at the top of each staircase, Don’t smoke when baby is around. Better still, don’t smoke, period.

· Bolt onto the floor or onto the wall high chests and other furniture that might tip over. Be especially wary of soft-touch cabinet shelves that open at the slightest touch. The toddler might use the shelves to climb up the top of the cabinet.

· Paint or wallpaper baby’s room at least two weeks before he comes home. Before buying paint, check the label; if there’s any word that you cannot pronounce, it’s probably a chemical, and, therefore, hazardous. Prefer water-based paint to oil-based ones.

· Use toy chests that have lid supports that hold the lid open. The last thing mom would want is for the lid to close on the chest with the child inside. Use toy chests without lids, or ones which have holes for ventilation on all sides. You may also choose chests which leave a space between the lid and the sides of the chest.

· Keep mobiles out of baby’s reach. Take them out altogether as soon as baby starts pushing up on his hands and knees. Don’t leave toys in the crib. They may smother baby, and teddy bears might serve as handy stepping stools the child can use to climb out.

· As soon as baby starts walking make sure all doors leading outside have locks. You might also get yourself a Dutch Door, allowing you to open the top half while keeping the lower half shut.

· Stow away everything that may be potentially harmful to the child: insecticides, antifreeze, gasoline, oil, bleach, detergent, kitchen cleaners, food storage bags, knives, scissors, liquor, sewing kit, kitchen stepstool, plastic bags, grocery bags, garbage bags.

· Set the water heater at 120 degrees Fahrenheit. Don’t use a bath seat or a bath ring when bathing baby. Don’t leave baby alone even for only a moment. Make sure the diaper pail lid can be secured. Unless it does, it poses a drowning possibility. When cooking, put baby in a playpen where you can see him. Don’t microwave your stored mom’s milk, it can create hot spots that can burn baby’s mouth.

· Remove stove knobs till you’re ready to use it. Use the back burners first, and remember to turn the pot handles away from you. Always use a fireplace screen.

· Mount TV sets on the wall, out of the reach of children. Make sure the child has no way of tugging at coffeemakers, toaster ovens, and blenders.

· Keep inflated, and even deflated, balloons away from children. Never leave a water container near a child. Don’t spray with bug spray around baby. Screw in safety covers over convenience outlets to prevent access. Don’t use plugs. They might end up in baby’s mouth. Don’t use too many extension cords, install additional outlets instead.

· Install fire, smoke, and carbon monoxide alarms around your house: in the kitchen, in the garage, in the dining room, in living rooms. Replace the batteries regularly. Your birthday might be a good time to remember changing batteries by. Install nightlights where the child could not reach them.

· Always keep the doors of parked cars locked. Never leave a child inside the car alone.