How to Babyproof at Grandma & Grandpa’s House

If you are lucky, there is a grandparent just waiting to get their hands on your little one for a night or two. Making sure Grandma's house is safe, stocked and ready to go for a visit is your key to regular date nights! We have some suggestions to make visits to Grandma's house as fun and stress-free as possible for everyone involved. 

1. A Place to Sleep & Play
Your little one needs safe spots to nap, sleep and play at Grandma's house! The good news is you don't need to take over their home and set up a separate nursery and playroom for your tiny tot to feel like they are at home. Get a great travel crib, like the 4Moms Breeze Plus above, you can use for overnights with the grandparents (and when you travel farther away). As a test run, let your little one spend some time, or even nap, in the travel crib at your place so they are not adjusting to both that and sleeping in new surroundings. If you don't already have one at home, check out a service like BabyQuip that will deliver one right to Grandma's front door. 

2. Baby Gate
Babies who are mobile, including crawlers, need baby gates on stairs to keep them safe. But there is no need to drill holes in the walls. Pressure-mounted baby gates will work on most stairs. This type of baby gate does not require any permanent hardware to be installed to be used safely. Instead, tension keeps these gates in place. That means you can remove them when you head home. To cut down on expenses, use the same gate in your home and bring it with you when you visit. 

3. Cabinet & Door Locks
Just like at home, it's important to keep little ones away from sharp objects, cleaning supplies, medications and other everyday household items that could pose a threat to baby's safety. Adhesive, magnetic cabinet and door locks are a great solution. These locks from Eco-Baby do not require any drilling to install, and they can be activated or de-activated with built-in latches. That means grandparents can babyproof her cabinets and drawers only when their favorite little person is over for a visit and open them freely when their house is a baby-free zone.

4. Outlet Covers
Once a baby starts crawling and for many years afterward, outlet covers are a must. These are small, unobtrusive, inexpensive, only need to be installed once, and are easy to remove. Just arrive at Grandma's house with a box and this babyproofing item can be knocked off your list in under 10 minutes! 

5. Baby Monitor
Grandma and Grandpa will need to keep an ear open for when baby wakes up from a nap or emits middle-of-the-night cries of hunger. Functionality and ease is the name of the game when it comes to a grandparent-friendly baby monitor. The Motorola Touch Connect has a large touchscreen for viewing, two-way communication and comes with pre-loaded lullabies. Plus, if Grandma accidentally wanders out of range with it, an alarm will go off.   

6. First Aid Kit
Buy a baby first aid kit to send to Grandma's house or make one of your own. If you go the DIY route, include some basic first aid and grooming items. A nasal aspirator, baby pain reliever and a thermometer are a must. Because no one likes getting scratched by little nails, try a grandma-friendly bbluv electric nail trimmer, which uses tiny emery boards rather than clippers to get the job done. To add a little humor to baby's stay, an Oh Sh*t Kit Max from Rafi Nova contains a variety of everyday essentials and hacks to make sure Grandma is prepared for (almost) any situation. Consider including a form that allows grandparents to consent to medical treatment in case of emergency. 

7. Make Grandma's Life Easier
Once baby starts solids, a couple of hacks can make a visit easier: Pack a variety of baby- or toddler-size portions of foods in a Bentgo box that Grandma can use for feedings at home or on the go. Make clean-up easier with the gift of a cordless wet-dry floor cleaner like a SLYDE. If more than one grandchild will be visiting, label everything with stickers from Mabel's Labels that are waterproof and nearly indestructible.