A crawling baby is just the most adorable sight to behold, isn’t it? If that baby happens to be yours, however, it’s a whole different story, as you’ll soon discover! Crawling, a rather exciting milestone for a baby, means being mobile, and able to get from point ‘A’ to point ‘B’ without Mummy or Daddy carrying him there. But here’s the thing – to a baby, there is no such thing as just crawling from one place to another. There will be so many distractions to check out on the way there. This article, as you’ll soon find out, is mainly about that.
1. You may burn a hole in your wallet picking up reliable baby proofing supplies
You’ll also find that products bought online, especially, may not be what they seem. For example, a child safety gate may be advertised as ‘easy-to-install, and you will find that in actual life, it is anything but! In any case, you will find yourself spending a lot of money to try and keep your home safe for a crawling baby.
2. Items of yours will mysteriously go missing!
You may notice that as soon as your baby starts crawling, you may start to lose stuff with no explanation. Well, actually, there is an explanation, for before this, your precious little one could only see but not quite get to them. Now, he can not only get to them, but also take them to a corner somewhere for safekeeping! The only way to find your lost items is to get down on your hands and knees, and check out your baby’s world around you. Literally!
3. Forgotten stuff in low-lying drawers and cupboards will be rediscovered!
Anything at all that is stored in low-lying drawers and cupboards is fair game to a crawling baby, so do not ever under-estimate his choices! Food, cookware, clothing, you name it, he’ll get to it. Nothing is out of the question for a thorough checking out and even for a taste, as far as an inquisitive baby is concerned.
4. Say goodbye to your afternoon naps
When a baby realises he can move about with his own free will, nothing is going to stop him from doing so regardless of what time it is. Yes, you can go ahead and put up your barriers and safety gates and so on… but hey, did we mention that along with crawling skills your baby will probably also be equipped with the talent of an escape artist? You will find yourself naturally on guard for most of the day, either willingly or unwillingly sacrificing your naps for the sake of keeping an eye on your speedy little one!
5. Those cute white outfits you bought him will have to wait
As you will soon find out, putting on white tees or dresses or white anything for your little one who has started crawling around will be a terrible idea, as they will simply be using it as a dry mop as they move with incredible speed around the house! And this brings us to our next point, actually…
6. You’ll find that you’ve become quite the housekeeper!
Due to having an innocent yet unstoppable being in your home whose only aim seems to be to get at any objects lying around on the floor, under or behind furniture, at dusty corners, you’ll find yourself evolving into a hardworking cleaning lady, trying to outrun your baby at reaching for tiny objects lying around on the floor which never bothered you before this. You’ll also sweep, mop and dust more often, in a bid to keep your baby’s clothing from getting too dirty when he’s doing his thing and crawling all over the place!
7. Where did your baby go?
A crawling baby means a constantly disappearing one, as you’ll soon see. Your baby can’t help but be naturally inclined to practice his new skill, for more reasons than one! Not only can he get to anywhere he desires on his own now, but he can also stop and check out the dust bunnies if there are any (hint, hint, Mummy!). Just look away for a couple of seconds, or perhaps answer your phone, or text your hubby, and viola, baby’s gone! For this reason, it will be a good idea to baby-proof your house, and do it well, for the safety of your baby, and for your own sanity too!
8. Next up, standing up!
From crawling, your little one will most probably start to stand up on his own before he starts to…. Walk! And, well, there really is no stopping him from then on, for he will be freer than ever to toddle around the house and grab stuff, push them over, and of course, pull them down too. For these reasons, parents are advised to thoroughly baby-proof their home to ensure that their little one is always kept safe from his own tactics!
Stop, close & block for your child’s safety!
While crawling is an adorable new milestone that will melt any parent’s heart, it is also a signal to be more aware and attentive towards your little one who has just realised that he is now independently mobile and can ‘go places’ on his own! Your house is now his own little wonderland, hence take extra special care to cordone off all areas you would rather your little adventurer doesn’t venture into. So, go ahead and stop, close and block those places. Take care, and happy parenting!
