Babyproofing Basics | S.17 Ep.3

Exploration and safety for little movers take center stage as we walk room-by-room through simple, research-based ways to prevent injuries at home. From outlets and cords to water temps, gates, tip-overs, and creating safe spaces to explore, you’ll learn practical steps that protect without stifling curiosity.

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Welcome back to The Science of Parenting podcast, where we connect you with research based information that fits your family. We'll talk about the realities of being a parent and how research can help guide our parenting decisions. I'm Mackenzie Dejong-Schelling. I am your podcast co-host, and I'm an parenting educator. Our guest today is our wonderful colleague and friend from AnswerLine, Rachel Sweeney. Rachel is a program specialist with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, and we just want to welcome Rachel to the podcast today. Welcome, Rachel. Could you tell us a little bit about yourself? Yeah, so I'm, I'm happy to be here. Thank you for the invitation. I grew up on a farm in Eastern Iowa and was heavily involved in the 4-H program, and that's really where my interest was sparked to pursue food and nutrition beyond a project area and into a career. And I studied dietetics and exercise science here at Iowa State University for five years. I did a combined bachelor's and master's program, and during my time as a grad student, I worked with Doctor Litchfield, who has, had an Extension appointment and got to help her on various Extension projects. So that's where I really was exposed to Extension as a career path and an opportunity. So that was kind of in the back of my mind. After I graduated, I did a dietetic internship at Vanderbilt Medical Center for ten months and then returned back to Iowa and took my RD, Registered Dietitian Exam, and then my first real job, real gig, was working alongside our very own Jody Gatewood, helping her with some programs, as a food and health specialist. So I got to help her teach Serve Safe and childcare trainings and food preservation workshops. And then after that six months, a full time position with Extension opened up in Eastern Iowa. So I got to move back to the eastern side of the state, be closer to my family. And for about seven years I was a nutrition wellness program specialist, doing kind of those same types of programing, which I loved. And also during that time I met my husband, who was from North-Central Iowa and grew up on a farm. So as much as I wanted to stay in my role, I, I wasn't able to move his family farm, so I, I moved up there, so we could kind of start our, our chapter together and did a brief stint with Hy-Vee as an in-store dietician and then transition back to Extension, a role with Iowa 4-H and the school wellness program they have called Switch. And really enjoyed that, but then also, became pregnant with our first son and realized I probably wasn't going to be able to do the commute from where we lived and raise him and so was looking for something a little more part time, and this role that I currently have with AnswerLine came up and I've been here three and a half years, which is hard to believe. So I still get to, I've, I've had a lot of different hats with an Extension, but I've enjoyed them all. And, now my husband and I live on a farm. We have a cow calf operation, and two young children, a preschooler and a toddler, and then a little baby on the way in a couple months. So we really are trying to do it all but realizing it's a juggling act most days. Oh, for sure. And that's what I've heard from a lot of parents. That is, you know, there's always something to juggle. I know in our conversation as we got started, we were talking about all the ways that parents juggle different things, so. I also have to say that you're, okay, we don't have the same story, but our passion for, like, working and Extension and being, you know, serving others, we've all started in 4-H, so, you know, kinda plug that in there. But it's kind of cool that this whole series of events for you have led to AnswerLine, because I feel like I'm sure that that experience that you've had throughout all of these different positions have made you even more successful as an AnswerLine specialist. I would guess. So, before we do dive into what our main topic is today, I would love it if you would share just a little bit about what your AnswerLine is. What does AnswerLine do as part of Iowa State Extension and Outreach? Sure, we at AnswerLine like to call ourselves the other front door to Extension. We don't have a physical office space like our county offices in every county across the state. However, our phone number and email are at the bottom of every Extension web page. Submit a question through our Extension website. It comes to us that AnswerLine first, through the Ask Extension portal. And so our, our primary purpose is to help consumers and clients with home and family questions. Two thirds of those being around food. So we get questions about, right now, in the summer months, food preservation. How do you do that safely? Around the holidays, a lot around preparing turkeys and leftovers, what to do with those? And then helping 4-H’ers get their exhibits ready for the fair. But we also help with a variety of other cleaning, stain removal, sewing, consumer management type questions, picking out new appliances. And then we're kind of a catch all, too, because people see our number, so they'll, they'll call it if they’re not sure where to start. And so we like to say,“if we're not your last call or your second to last call to help get your question answered,” whether that be horticulture, entomology, you know, a variety of questions. We may refer to a Extension specialist or another state agency. But we've been around. AnswerLine is celebrating its 50th year, our 50th birthday this year. So we're really excited about that. We have actually a blog series going about our history if you're interested in reading more. But, consumers can connect with us through our toll free number, which is 1-800-262-3804 or email us answer@iastate.edu And we also have social media. So we're happy to help connect you with answers to your questions. Lots of ways for consumers to get those questions answered. And kind of like we mentioned, there's a lot of things that you touch on, although majority is food related, right? There's lots of other things that, you, you are, I would say you're the experts of a lot of things because you know how to either, you either know the answer or you can find the answer or find who knows answers. So, it's you are all a great resource for us across the state of Iowa. And I think your cool thing of what we do in Extension, and I know this is true for our AnswerLine as well, is that you share information and you share research based on what Iowans need, right? We don't just share whatever, whatever, you know, the latest fad or whatever, although that might be relevant. We share what Iowans need and we sometimes share information based on our own experiences, because we're Iowans, and if we're experiencing it, more than likely someone else is experiencing it as well. So, kinda leads us into our conversation today because you have gotten in to baby proofing lately. So let’s talk about infants and toddlers. Baby proofing is a huge topic. How in the heck did you get into research on baby proofing? It wasn't something I gave much thought to, honestly, until I became a parent myself. And even in those early, you know, couple months of being a new parent, I didn't really think about it because your baby really isn't mobile yet. But once my son, Thomas, started crawling and exploring and pulling himself up, I quickly realized all the things that were within his reach and that I, I wanted him to still be able to explore, but to do so safely. And so that prompted me to do some more research on it, we actually did an AnswerLine at home three part short video series. And so that's where I kind of did some research on what are the experts saying about baby proofing and what other Extension services had to offer as far as tips and tricks and kind of best practices in that arena? And so one of the first things I did was just get down at, start crawling around the floor like Thomas did. Which I love. Yeah, and you quickly learn all those things that get kicked under the couch or push behind the chair that, you know, when you're five feet something tall, you just aren't seeing and it's not part of your reality. But it's very much so part of their world. And it's, if it's there and has a fun color or pattern or texture, then he's going to want to put it in his mouth or learn more about it. Absolutely. And that can be, you know, we can have intentional zones set up for that, or there can be things that pop out that we're not wanting them to get into. So things that you wouldn't notice otherwise, that's such a helpful visual. Helpful, but also kind of a funny visual. Yeah, right. About you crawling around on the floor, but it, you know, that visual helps us to tie back to even with the CDC, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say, as well as the American Academy of Pediatrics. They say that unintentional injuries are actually one of the leading causes of death among children under five. Those unintentional things are things we don't think about, right? And most of those injuries do happen at home. And the thing is, the good news is, is that a lot of that is preventable with thoughtful baby proofing. Right. Right. Yeah. There's, there's, a lot you can do, and I think, just being aware and observant and thinking about that, on the front end, as much as you can, so that in the moment you're not realizing, “oh, I, I should have done this,” or, “I should have done that.” So trying to anticipate, I guess, what they're going to be getting into. Absolutely. But it doesn't have to happen all at once, you know, at, just as you guys talk about ages and stages, baby proofing kind of has stages that go along with it, too, based on the abilities of your child and the the motor skills that they're developing. So you can look at it a couple different ways. You can look at it room by room, or you can address maybe one particular hazard, whether that be, electrical outlets or cord blinds, that you, you know, that are consistent throughout your entire house. But that can kind of make it a little more manageable. So you're not trying to tackle it all at once. But there are some things, you know, that you can, just from the get go, do to kind of cover your bases. So I mentioned the electrical outlets. There's lots of different covers now that they have, very, you know, low profile. So you don't even often know they're there, that you can cover your outlets with or place furniture in front of them, so it's not something that the child is able to access. Stairs are something else that, that those little ones love to explore, crawl up and down. Yes. And it's really easy for them to start going up those without you realizing it. So we put gates both at the bottom and the top of our stairs, just to help minimize, that risk. Right. I talked about those cord blinds. We were at the time Thomas was little in a rental home, and so we didn't have a lot of control over the maybe, things that came with the home. So we, we left the blinds there, but we, they did, they were the more traditional style with the cords. And so we decided to put some cord cleats up, and so we would wrap, wrap the blinds around it so it wasn't a strangulation hazard to him. Absolutely. I know that, for our house, we did put new blinds in. And they, they do make the ones where, like ours just push up and pull down so they don't have those, but the cleats, when you do have cords or trimming them so they're a little shorter so they can't reach, are also really great ways to make sure that those are not, reached for those kiddos. Right, right. It's just such an easy temptation for them, so. And something else that they may be curious about is bottles with liquids or lotions or cleaners. And so those all can pose a poison hazard or risk. Yes. Yeah. And so a great number to put in your phone and have posted around your house, on your fridge and inside cupboards, is the poison control hotline number, that's 1-800-222-1222. You just never know when you're going to need it. So it's, it's always better to be prepared. And then something else I didn't really think about was my purse, which has all sorts of little pens and medicine and all sorts of keys, things. Things just thrown in there, right? Right, right. It's kind of a black hole. And so, that's something else that I would normally just sit on the bench where we put our shoes on and off. Well, once he could pull himself up, he could easily get in there. So I put a hook on the inside of one of our closet doors up high, and then we put a, a safety knob on the door to the closet. And so that was just my new designated space where I would put my purse so he couldn't easily access it. Absolutely. And as you said, the that poison control number, putting it throughout the house, but also just putting it in your phone. If you're listening to this right now, pull out your phone. I know you probably have a right next to you. Pull out your phone and put that number in there, because if need it, it takes more time to look it up than to just find your contact and your phone. So put it in your phone now. I'd rather have you have it than not need, and not need it than to not have it and need it. Right, right. So just some of those little things that you can do, part for prevention and for, you know, just in case, those solid first steps and then, I know that you've thought about this and you kind of mentioned that, that thoughtful approach, that gradual approach, that it doesn't happen all at once. It might happen, things, things change a little bit as your kids get older. According to the Safe Kids Worldwide, over 3 million children visit the emergency room each year due to injuries that happen at home, and baby proofing helps us to reduce that risk. And one of the ways that we can look at reducing that risk in a gradual form is by room. Right? So we can we can go by age. You can go by room, you can go one thing at a time. So let's focus in on the kitchen and the bathroom, which we know are very highly visited areas. Kind of know the purpose of those. So let's start with the kitchen and bathroom. What would you focus on in those two rooms? Sure. Yeah, yeah, and like you said, they’re rooms we use every day. And so there's a lot of tools in there to help us live our lives more efficiently. But a lot of those tools pose a hazard to a little one. And so those would be two rooms I would look at first and prioritize. Some things to think about would be cabinet doors or latches, putting childproof, covers or latches on those doors, especially areas where you're keeping cleaning supplies or shampoo or lotion or, you know, personal care products, that they, you know, they're fun colors. They are often in really neat bottles, and so that would be something that they often would be drawn to. So either moving those things to a higher location or putting a, a latch on those doors would be important. Yeah. Another thing that's often in the kitchen and or bathroom would be medications. Again, those are often small, fun colors, and they can easily, open them sometimes or, you know, that would pose a poison or choking risk or both. So moving us to a higher storage area would be important as well. Something else that I hadn't really thought of before would, the, the temperature of your water. So both when you're, you know, washing your hands in the kitchen or washing dishes, I know our son, when he was little enough, we would give him baths in our kitchen sink. And so we would use that water. And then as he got bigger, we transitioned him to the actual bathtub. But for both of those, you want to make sure that that water isn't getting above 120°F. So on your water heater, you can actually adjust it to make sure it's not getting warmer than that. And then I also got up my handy dandy food thermometer and just checked it in our kitchen to verify that it was actually, you know, less than 120. Yeah. Because, warmer than that, we know, it can cause scalds and burns very quickly to our little ones. Yeah, and I will, I'll admit, I did not know until recently that you could adjust the temperature on your water heater. I kind of just assumed it was like,“oh, that machine runs hotter,” or“that machine doesn't make hot water.” So knowing that I, I have lived in an apartment that I had to have it adjusted so that it wasn't, you know, it wasn't burning my skin, but also not others were using, using that water. But I really love that you also double checked because you never know with that equipment if, if it's running the temperature that it says it is. So just being sure that that you're looking out for those little safety aspects and setting it so then you don't have to worry about it, right? You can still, still probably feel like,“oh, it's not too hot.” But having it set so you know that it, it can't is really a great idea. Right. Yeah, I compare it to AnswerLine. You know, we often tell people put, you know, you set the thermometer in your oven or the temperature. But oftentimes people, if they're having issues when they're baking something, I'll say,“okay, put a thermometer inside your oven. Is it actually the same temperature as what you set it to?” So it's, you know, trust but verify is kind of the the idea there. I love that. So another thing to think about in your bathroom would be some non-slip mats. So with once we get water, it's very easy to slip, both us as an adult, and if you're carrying a child, or the child themselves as they become mobile. So, we put some non-slip mats both inside the tub and next to the tub, just to help reduce the risk of falls there. And then especially in the kitchen, you know, knives are probably something that come to mind. And it's easy to, you know, have those in your utensil drawer, which your child may reach. So moving those to a higher location in the back of the counter or a higher up cabinet would be important. But also glassware. You know, children are curious and they love to stack things and explore what those are, so if that cracks or breaks that, you know, they could cut themselves very easily. And then a lot of the things we have in our kitchen, too, are heavy when you think about, you know, appliances. I have a KitchenAid mixer that would be quite heavy if they just pulled that out on themselves. And so thinking about where is a safer location that's higher and out of their reach, where you can store those items so they don't, you know, when you turn your back, they're not accidentally going to get hurt with those. Yeah. And you know, you say knives. That's obvious. Right? Well, obviously we don't want kids going into the knives, but I don't always think about those heavy objects that you're like, that, that is dangerous too. So making sure that those are either in a secured place or up high out of reach is really smart, I guess, yeah, that was something that I hadn't really thought of either. And then the glassware obviously you think about it, but double checking that it's out of reach because it could, it could cause an injury as well. So those, you know, those recommendations that you have definitely line up what the experts say. American Academy of Pediatrics talks about hot tap water and how, you know, over 120 degrees, that it can cause third degree burns in seconds. And then, you know, medications are one of the top causes of unintentional poisoning in young children. So just making sure that you do those somewhat little things now to prevent something big happening later. So as we think about, so we looked at those kind of more high traffic, maybe more dangerous seeming areas. Let's move into the living spaces. So bedrooms, living rooms, the softer, the soft zones, they might feel a little less urgent, but they also still might contain some of those hidden dangers, right? Definitely, yes. Yeah. As I got looking closer in those rooms, I quickly realized there's things that I need to do as well to make them safe spaces. So, one that, you know, really goes for anyone if you have little ones or not would be having working smoke detectors on every floor in your home, as well as carbon monoxide detectors, as those, especially near your sleeping areas, and checking the batteries on those on a monthly basis to make sure they're still working. You know, we, we spend hopefully around eight hours a day sleeping. And so we want to make sure that when we're not consciously aware of those dangers that there's something that can alert us if something's going wrong. Absolutely. Another thing is with baby gear, you've got all these electronics to help make your lives easier. Technology is great when it's great. Right, right. And so, you know, we've got monitors and even some of the toys that they, they have access to, they all have a charger cord, which they love to play with and pretend as a necklace and could have unintentionally, you know, strangle themselves with. So, making sure that those are out of reach, especially not in close proximity to the crib, when, you know, you may not be watching them as closely when they're in their rooms, supposedly sleeping, so that an accident doesn't occur. Right. And then with the crib itself being mindful of the space between those slats. So there should be no more than two and 3/8 of an inch, between each of those slats. Just to make sure that the child doesn't get a limb or something stuck in them, and then the mattress itself should fit snugly against the edges of the crib, so that they're not getting stuck or, you know, could roll over and and be trapped in that area. Yeah. Also, with the crib, think about the location of where you're placing the crib. So, if it's next to a window, if we can, we want to avoid that, because often there could be drapes there. I know we have, like, those blackout blinds to help keep the room as dark as possible for them, but that's something they could easily suffocate on. As well as any of those cord blinds that we talked about earlier. They could, they could play with and and strangle on as well. And then something else that's in a lot of our bedrooms or living rooms would be a television. And so those are bigger than ever now. And, you know, they can easily, you know, it changes color, it makes sounds. It's so appealing to a little one. And, they could easily, you know, push on it and have it fall on them unintentionally. So making sure that's mounted securely to a wall or pushed back so in a way that they can't reach it so it doesn't, fall on them. Because that could cause a lot of harm as well. Absolutely. And then we think about, the furniture as well. Right? You have TVs secure? You want to think about furniture being secured. I know that in our house right now, we don't have a ton of furniture secured to the walls. But making sure that you do get that, you know, get that done as they become more mobile, just so that if they pull up. When they pull up on things that could tip over on them. The other thing on furniture that I know you mentioned before was furniture guards. So like, yeah, sharp edges. So, even if they aren't pulling up on it, that they might be running into the furniture. Right, right. Yes. Very easy to, you know, either when they're walking, just running straight into it or when they're going from crawling to standing position, they're not looking to see what's above their head. We had a lot of those kind of corner coffee tables with a sharp point on the corner. So we got some kind of, there like, foam corner pieces you can attach. And they matched the color of the furniture, so they weren't really obvious, but it did help protect that, that sharp corner. So then you're not constantly having to just walk around patrolling where their head is going. Yeah. Absolutely. So lots of great adjustments. And recent research highlights that TV and furniture tip over injuries are actually rising, well, they rise as children become more mobile, right? They start to climb, they start to get in, you know, they pull up on things. So those tip over injuries become more prevalent. I also appreciate kind of like with that idea that you, you've talked a little bit about how you've made changes based on your child's new skills rather than waiting for those accidents to happen. So anticipating,“okay, as he comes into this age, then maybe this will happen.” You know, they might, they might get to the TV, they might, you know, those sorts of things. So with all of this, right, we're talking through all of these different things to consider. I know that we've talked to Hailey about things that she, as a, new, mom of a newborn, that is considering that there's a lot. If you think about those parents that are feeling overwhelmed by all the possible, possible hazards, what might you say to them as they listen? Yeah, and I think this advice would go for any behavior change you're trying to make. I often have framed it in my career around food and nutrition goals. You know, we're wanting people to eat half their plates of fruits and vegetables and include a lean protein and get so much water and exercise 30 minutes a day. And so if you're trying to do all of that at once, it's going to feel very overwhelming. And in your chances of succeeding are pretty low. Right. And so when we make a behavior change or want something to become a habit, we encourage people to start small. And I would say the same goes for baby proofing. So just, you know, make a list and then just pick one thing each day to tackle. And that makes it much more approachable and manageable. And then allows you to kind of modify as you go to, as you discover new things that they're able to access or get into, because it's not a one and done process. It, it evolves as they learn new things and can explore new areas and have new skills to get to higher areas. So, I would say just just focus on one thing and build on those small successes, and then, you know, after a week, or even a month, you can look back and say,“oh, we've, we've come a long way.”“Look at all the things we did.” Right, right. And then you can readjust and modify, as they continue to grow and develop. Absolutely. And I think one thing that I've heard you say is“you don't need the baby proof from 0 to 18, right?” Like you don't need to, it doesn’t have to stay. I think that that leads kind of into a question that I have as we talk about all of these things that are in our house, like literal things, like latches and gates and corner thingies and this and that and the other, I, I feel like it could feel like,“well, I'm baby proofing. All I'm doing is turning my space into a sterile zone full of plastic locks.” So if you have somebody that's like, “well, I don't want to just turn my house into a sterile zone full of plastic locks,” what would you give as like advice or words for those folks who are concerned about that aspect? So that is a really good question. I would say balance is key. So we want our homes to be functional and safe, but also esthetically pleasing. And a lot of the products available now are pretty low profile. Like I said, our corner guards matched our, the color of the wood of our end tables. So it, you know, there's, there's a whole market for this and lots of options to choose from. The other thing is that, as your child develops, as you said, what, what you may need to baby proof will modify and change. So it's not usually like everything will be all at once. And I know many of the things that we did initially, our, our four year old now knows to stay away from, but like the cabinet door latches, you can get ones that are, go on the inside of the cabinet door and have a magnet so you don't even visibly see anything. And then the, the magnet to open it, you can store up on the fridge. So it doesn't really, it doesn't become an eyesore. So just remember, it's not forever, and, and there's a lot of options on the market now to make it look more visually appealing. Absolutely. Yeah. And ways, finding ways that you can feel like you still have your home. It's not, it's not just a sterile house, but having your home. I think one thing also to, to kind of touch on is that you don't want to make your environment so that it feels like, you know, you're hindering their development. Right? You don’t want to just have everything off limits all the time that you're, you're wanting them to still find ways to be curious. You're wanting to make sure that they can still explore, but doing it safely, moving things like, those, that glassware out of reach, but maybe they can get to the plastic cups and they can play where the Cool Whip containers or the, you know, those sort of thing things that they can still get access to those and they can use them and explore those areas but don't have access to the glass pans or things. Right. We had a cupboard in our kitchen that was Thomas's cupboard, so he loved to crawl in and out of it. And that's how we stored, you know, he just had his own set. He had a plastic cutting board and a plastic knife and a bowl and a spatula. And so that was just kind of his area that he could use. And we took the, the handle off the door so it couldn't close on him, and that was where he could explore and then, you know, you spent a fair amount of time in the kitchen preparing food and cleaning up. And so it's nice that you can kind of create a safe space in that environment for them. Absolutely. And I think you've, I've heard you also mentioned that you have bookshelves where like you start off that on certain parts of the bookshelf you just have things they can reach that that's their toys or their books. And then as they get older, maybe more becomes theirs that they start to kind of slowly take over that bookshelf. Right. But that you can you can kind of implement those, those safe practices in different ways. Definitely. Really awesome ideas and ways that we can have safe homes, do some of that baby proofing, but also maybe think through ways that it still make it feel like a home and still feel like we are comfortable in that space, so. Just as kind of a closing, a few closing thoughts for us here, and then reminder to our listeners, from our conversation, unintentional injuries are a leading risk for young children, but many are preventable, preventable with some planning. And baby proofing does not have to be all or nothing. Be sure to take it one step at a time, one room, one hazard at a time, however you choose to approach it. But don't think you have to do it all at once. And those most effective strategies just begin with observation. Looking around, getting on their level, seeing what they might see, and seeing where maybe those priorities need to lie, and then finally focus on prevention, not on perfection. Science of Parenting listeners, if they've listened to basically more than one episode, you've heard us say that we don't, we don't look for perfect parents. We look for, we look for parents who are putting in their effort, right, and that they are, you are making, you are doing your best and you are trying. And that is really important, right? So focusing on that prevention piece, taking it one step at a time, like you said, and knowing that it does involve with your child's development as you continue to make those spaces safe. That's, that's exactly right, Mackenzie. And if you don't know where to start, or you're just kind of in a whirlwind of being a new parent, or want some help prioritizing how to begin or a tackle this, call us at AnswerLine or shoot us an email. We're happy to help walk through your questions, and provide research based recommendations. One thing that I did, I just realized that we didn't touch on that we had kind of talked about maybe mentioning is that we talked about in-home safety, right? Things that were baby proofing inside in the home, but I grew up on an acreage. I have, my niece and nephews are on an acreage. You grew up on a farm. You live on a farm. We live in Iowa, which is very rural. So we have a lot of folks that live on farms, near farms, or even just they go outside regularly. Right? So, what are some things that just even, just very briefly that you've considered and we'll give some resources as well, but, what have you taken into consideration as you thought about farm safety as well? Yes. We, like I mentioned, have large animals on our farm, horses and cattle. There's lots of heavy equipment, tractors and mowers and chemicals and, you know, if there's a risk, we probably have it. And so, as much as we, we love that lifestyle, there's, there's also a lot of things you need to be conscious of, especially with little ones. We also live next to a fairly busy highway, where vehicles are going 55, 60 miles an hour. And so kind of some, some things that we have implemented at our home, our children are not allowed to go outside without an adult. And that's just kind of a ground rule we have established with them. And that's really just to help keep them safe. We've also kind of established a play safe play area. And so that's, you know, where the play set is and where we keep their toys. And they know that those are areas where, where they can play. And then we have a cut off on our driveway. So beyond this tree, you know, they know that they are not, that's a boundary that they're not to go beyond that. And then as far as other areas on the farm, they need to be accompanied by an adult. So in a barn or an outbuilding or with the animals, they know that they're not supposed to go there. And with our daughter, she's only two, so she really doesn't fully get that. So it's just, you know, we're always with her, or I am wearing her on my back or pushing her in a cart or something, so I can kind of contain her a little bit. And then if I need to do something in the home, use the bathroom or do something in the kitchen, you know, they just come with me because things can happen very quickly. Right. Yeah. So just being mindful of what hazards might be around the farm, those sorts of things. But, like you said, things can happen quickly. And being just mindful of the supervision and knowing that, we think that those kiddos in our lives are capable of things more than, or they understand things more than they actually might. Not knowing that, oh, they know better. They know that they might not. So just making sure that you keep that in mind for those kids. So, we don't claim to be farm safety experts, so I don't want to go too far into that, but I did just want to touch on that. I will say that we have looked at a couple of resources and I'm gonna, I, if you're watching, I'm kind of looking off the screen because I want to make sure I get these right. But a couple of resources that we've looked at, the National Safety Council, that is, they have an agricultural division, and the National Education Center for Agricultural Safety, have really great resources, as well as the National Children's. Now I got to get it right, the National Children's Center for Rural and Agricultural Health and Safety, those are all just really big names. But if you look up, farm safety for kids, those sorts of things, you can find some of those resources. Otherwise, I know that our Extension services have a lot of great resources. So whether it be the Iowa State University Extension and Outreach or some of our, our, friends across the nation in Extension, if you're looking for farm safety resources, we would be happy to connect you with those. And if you call AnswerLine, I'm sure they'd be happy to help you find those resources as well. So if you have more questions around farm safety, please be sure to reach out and find those resources that you have available. So, okay, with that, and I threw that extra piece in there, I just wanted to make sure we talked a little bit about farm safety, but we've talked all about baby proofing and safety for those little ones in our home. So that gives us to the end. So thank you so much, Rachel, for joining us today. It has been a joy to hear your professional experience, but obviously your parenting experience as well, as you've, gotten into the, kind of the weeds of baby proofing because of your family. So thank you for all that information, and thank you to our listeners as well for tuning in today. Don't forget, listeners, that you can find the Science of Parenting on social media. We are pretty active on Facebook as well as, you can find AnswerLine on social media, and I know they are also active on Facebook, which sometimes I share the Facebook posts from there's page to our page, so be sure to check, to be sure to check out both of our pages there and connect with us on social media. Rachel, as always. Come along as we tackle the ups and downs, the ins and outs, and the research and reality all around The Science of Parenting. The Science of Parenting is a research-based education program hosted by Mackenzie DeJong-Schelling, produced and edited by Brock Beirman, with contributions from Barbara Dunn-Swanson, Dr. Connie Beecher, Hailey Walker, and Morgan Newell. Send in questions and comments to parenting@iastate.edu and connect with us on Facebook. This program is brought to you by Iowa State University Extension and Outreach.