Baby Showers: More Than Just Games and Fun

Baby Showers: More Than Just Games and Fun

Consider holding a newborn safety shower instead of the traditional "blankets and snugglies" shower if you want to celebrate new parents-to-be and help them prepare for their upcoming arrival.

In addition to being a lot of fun, traditional baby showers give new parents a chance to get their "nests" ready for the birth of a new addition. When a baby shower is organized, the goal is to help new parents stock up on essentials like baby clothes, bath supplies, bottles, nursing equipment, and toys and activities. For me, baby showers are one of the finest ways for a community to unite over the arrival of a new baby. It reminds me of the "good old days," when a community, village, or neighborhood shared responsibility for the birth and care of a new child.

A newborn safety shower is in line with these old-fashioned community values. All of the activities concentrate on infant and home safety, so it's more than simply a good time for everyone to have a good time. In addition to having fun, parents and caregivers go away with a better understanding of how to keep their newborns safe at home.

A range of safety-related topics, such as child-proofing one's house, nutrition, or health, might be the subject of the shower's theme. There's no limit to how many guests you may invite to a baby safety shower. More than simply the couple being celebrated, visitors may visit displays at larger safety showers where safety-savvy parents use games, puzzles, music, rewards, and other activities to teach their children about home safety. To facilitate talks and safety games in smaller showers, it may be best if one individual serves as the group's facilitator.

While most baby showers are attended by close relatives and friends, safety showers are a great chance to connect with people in your community. For example, you may strengthen your links with the local business community and develop partnerships with local health and social service groups by volunteering to distribute baby supplies given by local retailers. Having a solid relationship with your community and providing your invited parents with welcoming information, goods, and services is a win-win situation for everyone involved.

Use your imagination to design a baby safety shower that is unique to you and your family's needs. Throwing a successful safety shower is all about delivering vital information in an entertaining and welcoming environment. So, have a good time, and don't forget to educate yourself on the critical issue of family safety.

a Checklist of Baby Safety Measures

Consumer Product Safety Commission recommendations may be found in this section of the website below. Parents may disagree with some of these criteria, even if they are founded on reasonable ideas. For instance, it is against the rules to put a newborn in the same bed as an adult. Attachment Parenting, on the other hand, sees sleeping with a newborn as a crucial part of bonding and may even reduce the risk of SIDS. When it comes to infant caregiving, I urge that you use the following principles just as a starting point for further research and consideration. Consult your physician if you are unsure about the best course of action for your child.

The Baby Safety Checklist

In the bedroom,

In a crib with a hard, flat mattress and no soft covering, place your baby on her back. Reduce the risk of suffocation and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome by following this advice (SIDS). To avoid suffocation, do not place infants to sleep on adult beds.

The crib should be solid and free of missing or loose hardware for your newborn. Because of this, newborns will not get suffocated or strangled due to crib pieces that are damaged.

When putting your baby's crib or other furniture near window blinds or curtain wires, do so at your own risk. Infants will not be able to strangle themselves on the cord's loop. Keep youngsters away from glass in order to avoid injuries.

In the restroom:

Dispose of medications and cleaning supplies in child-resistant containers. This will help to keep the poisoning of youngsters at bay.

Before placing your infant in the bath, always check the water temperature with your wrist or elbow. This will protect a baby's sensitive skin from being burned.

If you have a young kid, never, ever, ever leave them alone in the bathtub or anywhere near water. This will help to keep youngsters safe from drowning when the pool is filled. It is also important to make sure that your children aren't near any kind of standing water, such as water in the toilet tank or a 5-gallon bucket.

In the kitchen

Using all of the safety straps on your child's highchair is a must. This will save the baby from being hurt or possibly dying if he or she tries to climb out, fall, or slide under the tray. Strollers and baby swings should be secured with safety straps.

Cook on the rear burners and keep pot handles facing away from the stove's burners. As a result, burns will be less likely to cause death and injury as a result of this. As a last precaution, keep youngsters away from tablecloths so they can't accidentally bring hot food or beverages to their mouths.

Children should not have access to home cleaning supplies, knives, matches, and plastic bags, which should be stored in locked containers. This can prevent poisonings, bleeding injuries, burns, and asphyxia from occurring.

Other places to live include:

You should have smoke detectors on every level of your house, particularly near sleeping areas. This will reduce the number of people killed and injured by flames.

Safety gates and safety plugs may be used to restrict stairways and electrical outlets. Falls and electric shocks will no longer be a concern thanks to this new system.

Keep small toys and balloons away from youngsters under the age of three. Choking and possibly death will be avoided if this is done.

Additional Resources and Information

Contact the Office of Information and Public Affairs, U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, Washington, DC 20207 for additional information about infant safety or how to arrange a baby safety shower, including particular recommendations on planning, organizing, and coordinating one. The preceding text was extracted from a Product Safety Commission study.