My Parenting Hack for Preventing Head Injuries on a Changing Table

My Parenting Hack for Preventing Head Injuries on a Changing Table

Heather Johnson

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My Parenting Hack for Preventing Head Injuries on a Changing Table

Not all parents use changing tables, but I love mine. My husband and I bought ours for super cheap at a garage sale. We have been using the table to change our daughter since her birth. However, now that she is an older toddler, she is taller than the length of the table. If she is not careful about laying down right or when she fidgets around too much, she bangs her head on the bar at the end of the table. To prevent my daughter from banging her head too hard, I came up with an inexpensive hack to make the changing table a little safer.

A while ago, my husband had bought a pool noodle to use on our bathroom door. With a westward-facing window, the door can slam shut when the wind blows through the house. To keep my daughter from getting her fingers slammed in the door, I cut a section of pool noodle off and cut a slit down the side. The cut noodle fits onto the side of the door, preventing the door from shutting completely.

Pool Noodle on Bathroom Door

Using the same idea, I cut a piece of the pool noodle off to fit the length of the bar at the end of our changing table. After cutting a slit down the side, I used clear packing tape to secure the cut noodle to the changing table. (I tried just putting the noodle on the bar, but my daughter liked to take the noodle off, sometimes during her diaper changes). The noodle provides my daughter with some cushioning when she bangs her head into the bar of the changing table. She might still whack her head sometimes, especially when she is messing around during her diaper changes, but at least she no longer smashes her little noggin into a hard wooden bar!

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Changing Table Pool Noodle and Clear Packing Tape

Changing Table with Pool Noodle Parenting Hack

With my second child on the way, I plan to leave the pool noodle on the changing table. Ever after she stops using diapers, my husband and I will probably continue to dress our daughter on the table. My husband especially likes using the table after shower time in the evening. He can easily put lotion on our daughter without having to hunch over to reach her. Plus, the addition of the pool noodle will keep future baby heads safe from serious harm — especially if baby number two is as rambunctious and as active as my first daughter!

Have you ever used a clever parenting hack to keep your kiddo safe? Also check out my Baby-Proofing Tips: Making Your Home Safer for additional baby-proofing ideas.

Image Credits

My Parenting Hack for Preventing Head Injuries on a Changing Table © 2014 Heather Johnson
Pool Noodle on Bathroom Door © 2014 Heather Johnson
Changing Table © 2014 Heather Johnson
Pool Noodle and Clear Packing Tape © 2014 Heather Johnson
Changing Table with Pool Noodle Parenting Hack © 2014 Heather Johnson