Please purchase a subscription to read our premium content. If you have a subscription, please log in or sign up for an account on our website to continue.

Please log in, or sign up for a new account to continue reading.

Thank you for reading! We hope that you continue to enjoy our free content.

Welcome! We hope that you enjoy our free content.

Thank you for reading! On your next view you will be asked to log in to your subscriber account or create an account and subscribe purchase a subscription to continue reading.

Thank you for reading! On your next view you will be asked to log in to your subscriber account or create an account and subscribe purchase a subscription to continue reading.

Thank you for signing in! We hope that you continue to enjoy our free content.

Thank you for reading! We hope that you continue to enjoy our free content.

Thank you for reading! We hope that you continue to enjoy our free content.

Thank you for reading! We hope that you continue to enjoy our free content.

Thank you for reading! We hope that you continue to enjoy our free content.

Thank you for reading! We hope that you continue to enjoy our free content.

Checking back? Since you viewed this item previously you can read it again.

Sunny. High 92F. Winds E at 5 to 10 mph..

Partly cloudy skies. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low near 65F. Winds SE at 5 to 10 mph.

Caregivers of babies and young children are encouraged to “baby proof” their houses. I never questioned the imperative of creating a safe environment for my wee one, although it’s worth noting that baby safety products are a $14 billion USD market. I’m sure we are sold many things we don’t need, companies preying on our fear, but the world is a dangerous place for babies. In fact, I never really thought about or questioned the need for locks, gates, plug protectors, padded corners, and other devices until recently.

I’m a writer, so it should come as no surprise that I muse over words “for fun” from time to time. My 3-year-old still needs supervision and reminders about danger, but is generally quite capable and adept at following expectations like, “don’t put your fingers in the outlet.” He was “helping” me put the plastic outlet cover back on when the word “baby proof” surfaced in my consciousness.

Isn’t it strange that we talk about this process by using words that imply we need to protect our house from our children? While that may be true to an extent – I moved our upholstered dining chairs into storage shortly after we introduced solids – a baby is part of our family. Should we not make our home “danger proof” for our babies instead? Words carry subtle, often subconscious power. What kind of effect does thinking of child household safety this way have?

I have always made it a point to maintain “adult” spaces in our house. Toys come and go throughout the day, but their home is not strewn about the living room; it is tucked away into the child’s closet. I will never paint a room a garish, bold hue or go all-in on dinosaurs, ballerinas, or Marvel decorations. Yet, as my son grows older and is daily more and more an individual, I feel a nagging urge to make our home more friendly toward his needs and interests. I don’t just mean a booster seat, although he has one of those as well.

As antithetical as it seems to my dictatorial attitude about home decor, I think it’s time I invited my child’s taste into our home – sort of the opposite of baby proofing. Perhaps we could call it baby welcoming, although he’s far from a baby. I figure that if I provide our dogs with soft beds in the shapes they each prefer, I should do at least as much for my child. A home should welcome all its inhabitants and the first step toward creating this environment is to stop thinking of it as a place that needs “proofing” from its youngest inhabitants.

Your comment has been submitted.

There was a problem reporting this.

Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language. PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK. Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated. Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything. Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person. Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts. Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.