Installing corner guards to childproof your home is crucial to prevent your little ones from sustaining accidental injuries from blunt, jagged corners. One of my nephews, who’s a ball of energy, has to be supervised any chance we get as he has this habit of bumping into chairs, tables, and what have you– a routine he, unfortunately, developed after seeing kids doing the same on a TV show.

 

Toddlers exploring, darting around, and bumping into random objects, including sharp edges of furniture, is a routine sight at home. Obviously, protecting them from accidental scrapes, bruises, scrapes, and cuts is a daily test of patience. Thus, baby-proofing our homes is a must— something we can’t delay if we’re fully committed to keeping kids from harm’s way.

 

What Are the Dangers of Sharp Corners?

 

While there may be times when kids only sustain a tiny scrape, nothing an antiseptic lotion or bandage can’t fix— there have also been instances when kids incurred injuries that require a swift trip to the hospital due to a large, deep laceration from blunt objects or corners. 

 

I recall one incident in our neighborhood– showing why baby-proofing your home is necessary. 

 

It was late in the afternoon. My neighbor was stirring pasta in her open kitchen while her 17-month-old son Jacob was slugging around the living room, tinkering with anything that grabbed his attention. As you would expect, the mom was on guard. Her glances would drift between the boiling pot and those little wobbly steps. But then, all of a sudden, a resounding thud went through the room, followed by several loud, shrill wails. As she turned around, she caught sight of her son— he had his little hand on his bleeding forehead. Jacob bumped his head on the sharp corner of the living room furniture.

 

There was no more to do but to pick him up and administer first aid to his son’s wound before dashing to the nearest clinic. Thankfully, the child was unharmed despite the deep cut on his forehead. However, the guilt remained. She felt responsible as she hadn’t done anything about those sharp edges that could have prevented the accident. 

 

How Do You Keep Children Away From Sharp Objects?

 

There’s no chance of preventing our little explorers from bumping into those blunt edges except to get rid of your unsafe furniture or install corner guards to protect them from sustaining cuts and bruises.

 

Do You Need to Baby-Proof a Newborn?

 

The thing is–baby proofing your home should start even before the baby arrives. A baby can already roll and hit a sharp object by accident. Besides, pregnant women are also susceptible to bumping their shins against pointed edges. 

 

How to Baby-Proof Sharp Corners on the Cheap

 

To baby-proof hard edges, we can buy good quality corner guards from Amazon that are pre-cut and can easily be installed to protect your littles from hitting their arms and head on sharp or stone corners. However, if you’re running your household on a bare-bones budget, we found an inexpensive foam, a cost-effective alternative. It’s pre-split with sticky tapes. You just need to peel off the tape and stick it right on sharp-edged tables and other objects in the house with blunt corners. The foam’s glue does not leave any visible marks, so if you’re looking for guard protectors without adhesives for fear of staining your furniture, Bebe Earth Corner Guard would be a good option.

 

 

Childproofing Made Easy

 

Here are the materials needed and a step by step instruction on how to install the corner guard.

 

Materials:

 

A duct tape if needed

 

A pair of scissor

 

Copper pipe wrapping foam sold on hardware stores or Bebe Earth Corner Guard from Amazon. ( 22 ft or 7 meters with 3M Tape.)

 

Steps:

 

The Bebe Earth Corner Guard already has four (4) pre-taped corner protectors that you can install on furniture and corner areas. Just take off the tape backing and stick them on the sharp corners of your table. As for the succeeding corner guard pieces, you may have to split an edge, cut a little notch so it can bend and wrap neatly around the corner.

 

Determine How Long the Strip Will Be. 

 

Unroll and lay out the foam along the length of the edges and mark the length with your finger— then cut off the piece using a scissor. Next, grab a piece of 3M tape and attach it along the inside parameter of the foam.

 

Some parents would only install corner guards on the sharp edges, but most prefer to baby-proof the full stretch of a table or bed frame edges. Child safety experts recommend covering the entire length of the table with foam pads to avoid any accidental injuries. We believe that with young kids–it’s always better to err on the side of caution.

 

 

Cut the Foam Pipe According to Your Needs

 

Cut the Bebe Earth Corner Guard according to the length you need to cover the whole length of the furniture.

 

The Bebe Earth Corner Guard is already pre-split in the middle and comes with a 3M tape. Attach the tape on the inside and make sure to press the glue-coated tape firmly onto the surface to keep it secure. Then, peel off the tape and stick the foam right on the edges. Don’t forget to press it down to ensure it sticks firmly to the table or any sharp-edged furniture, for that matter. And just like that, it lines up on all the edges quite easily. 

Should it fail to measure up to what you expect, you can always return the product within 90 days of receiving the item. 

 

Tip: Buy the brown one, as the glue seems to adhere much more firmly compared to the light-colored ones.