My name is Kim Wilson and I own BabySafe of Fresno. Because I am completely computer illiterate my husband, David, is in charge of this Web site. We are the parents of a 5 year old boy named Erik, who is the love of our life. Check Erik out as our first posted "Babe of the Week".
When Erik was 1 year old, we had just moved to Fresno, CA from San Francisco and my life was so crazy! I wasn’t working at the time and Erik was, and still is, very active. He had just learned to walk and he was into EVERYTHING. David would leave work and the house was reasonably clean (as clean as can be with a 1 year old), but when he came home from work the house would be destroyed because I was so busy chasing Erik around the house all day that there was no time to breathe, let alone clean. We ate fast food every night for the 1st year of our son’s life, because I just did not have time to cook.
I discovered a baby proofing service in Fresno and called. The man who was doing this at that time offered many suggestions, not only to make our home safer for Erik, but also to make my life easier. Some of the things he suggested I knew I should do like put latches on the cabinets, but neither me nor my husband could seem to find the time to install the latches.
We had latches installed and, boy, was Erik MAD! He got over it though, and now I could actually cook a meal without him under foot. Now that he couldn’t get into the cabinets, he discovered he had real toys, even more fun than the pots and pans. Yeah, no more McDonald’s. It’s kinda sad when your 1 year old recognizes the golden arches.
We installed gates to contain Erik to certain parts of the home when we were in those areas. This way I wasn’t always chasing him around. And the best thing was now I could actually go to the bathroom for a few minutes with peace of mind that he wasn’t electrocuting himself or swallowing poisons. Are there any other moms out there who mastered peeing while holding your baby on your lap?
The other life saver were the bathtub safety devices I purchased. I remember bath time was always stressful for me and Erik. He wanted to stand up which made me crazy. So I was perpetually leaning over the tub on my knees holding my son so he wouldn’t slip/drown/crack his head. We purchased a full length bath mat and a spout cover, turned our hot water heater down to the recommended 120° and suddenly bath time became our favorite time of day. Erik loves bath time. He spends about an hour in the tub now, and I sit on the floor next to him and read.
As luck would have it, the prior owner was selling his business to pursue his dream of becoming a police officer, so I borrowed money from my family and purchased the company from him. I love this business.
Prior to getting our home baby proofed, I spent the better part of the day saying "NO, NO, NO" to everything which can be totally exhausting, not to mention ineffective. After baby proofing our home, it allowed our son to explore his environment without me constantly saying "no". I truly believe "no" should be reserved for times when you want to get your child’s attention. If you are constantly saying "no" at home, then your child, as mine did, will start to tune you out and when you really need to say "no", will not take your seriously.
I love what I do. I have always wanted to do something involving children and this is perfect for me. I am doing something I feel is extremely important and it involves kids. Making your home "Baby Safe" is one of the most important things you do for your children. Our kids rely on us, as their parents, to make their environment a safe place for them to learn and explore.
Although preventable accidents in the home are the #1 cause of injury to children, the #1 cause of death to children under age 4 is automobile accidents. I decided, as a Child Safety Advocate, that I should learn more about this very important issue.
When I am not baby proofing homes, I am teaching Child Passenger Safety to the Fresno community and violators of the child restraint law. I am a Certified Child Passenger Safety Specialist. I have had extensive hands-on training with a National, non-profit organization called SafetyBeltSafe USA. I have also just completed my certification as a "Child Passenger Safety Technician" with NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration).
I have a contract with the Fresno County Health Department to distribute low-cost car seats to the community, which is a great public service. In addition, violators are referred to my class by the courts. Studies show that 90% of all people who are using car seats are using them improperly, putting their children at risk unintentionally. I am dedicated to informing the public about the proper use of car seats and hopefully motivating inconsistent users to buckle up their kids on every ride.
If you have any questions regarding baby proofing your home or car seat safety, please E-mail me. If I do not know the answer to your questions, I will do my best to get answers for you.
Thanks for stopping by! I hope that there is some useful information here for you.
HAPPY PARENTING!!!
Kim Wilson
BabySafe of Fresno