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Working Moms
ljanette85
member
baby proofing business ...a little legal advice needed
ljanette85
member
in Working Moms
Hi working mommies! Im still trying to work my experience as a nanny and a mom into a business that allows me to stay home with my LO. I considered the in home day care route, but I dont think that its for me.
While I was lecturing my sister on baby proofing (she has a one year old and little experience with kids before him) I realized that I would probably be an awesome baby proofer. I have helped families that I worked for in the past make their homes safer. I will admit that Im a bit paranoid and will probably pad most of the surfaces in my house lol.
I've started to research baby proofing services. I really just want to go into the parent, or expectant parents, home with a check list and point out everything that they need to cover, secure, hide, or gate off. then I would hand them the list, collect my fee and call it a day. Im not sure that I want to get into installing equipment. This is meant to be something that I can do in the evenings and on weekends. Plus I dont want to be held liable if the equipment ends up being faulty.
Would any of you know what I need to do to protect myself? insurance, a waiver? Im researching this on my own but I know that you all have great insight as well. Also, what would you suggest for my own safety? I feel a little odd going into the homes of people I dont know... I would screen phone calls and could possibly find someone to go with me.
thanks!
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Re: baby proofing business ...a little legal advice needed
I can't answer your questions about the insurance and all that. However, having recently used one of these services, I can tell you this:
I paid $50 for an evaluation/quote (his typical fee is $35, but I'm far enough away that he had to charge extra for gas). However, I would NEVER have done the eval if the guy didn't come back and install everything. I know what needed to be done, but I didn't have the time or expertise to do it myself. It took two guys over 4 hours to install everything.
Ha! That's about all we did. We do have a gate at the top of the stairs and we have some cabinet locks on cabinets we don't want the girls in. That's it.
We only did the plug covers and put a latch on the cleaning supply cabinet. Otherwise, she's free range.
Nope, that's what we did, too.
We did this and added some cabinet locks. I can't imagine hiring someone to help you baby proof. The cabinet locks take a small amount of handiwork, so I guess I could see someone hiring for this task.
the main thing we needed someone for is the long wall of 8 tall bookcases we have, each had to be secured to a stud as tall objects like that falling is a real safety risk. could i have done it correctly? sure probably, but it would have taken a long time, and part of my working mom gig is to pay people to do things and spend that time with my kids instead.
since we were paying for that we decided to just get the gates installed as well as a few little things like cord winders for the blinds. the guy we used sold the stuff so i didnt have to go get it. the outlet covers i did myself.
we did pretty intense babyproofing in terms of removing everything thats unsafe but we have twins who like to get into everything so its a whole different ballgame
I think it's a great idea - a babyproofing business - because depending on how all out anyone wants to go, it can be a lot of work installing gates and cabinet locks (and a giant pain in the a***, as my husband pointed out repeatedly), etc. But, as everyone else has said - the $ is in doing the actual installation. Google babyproofing checklist. The list of sites offering advice is endless. No one is going to pay anyone to give them a list they can get for free.
Maybe if you found a handyman type guy to partner with for install, you could make it work. Most parents know the basics of babyproofing or can find it easily if they're concerned (and even some health departments & other pediatric programs provide services like that for free sometimes...). The things I found the biggest pain- gates on stairs when they were weird (like wall to bannister that didn't line up right etc), anchoring dresser or bookcase and by far the worst but an awesome thing I don't regret at all- the tot locks on my cabinets. I paid a guy to install my stair gates (I had 2 sets of stairs at the time) and when I asked him about installing tot locks, he laughed & told me I'd have to pay him A LOT to install those esp given how many lower cabinets I had & might want to try it myself. I did them myself but they were an enormous PITA. Ideal for ppl who might wnat to have a 2nd child down the road since you can turn them off when you don't need them & then put them on again when you do in a few years.
If you go in & assess, then provide items for them to choose from to purchase (maybe you could get wholesale & then mark up a little to make a profit) & then arrange installation, I think it could work. They could technically choose any & all of those options though I would think most who have the money or desire to pay someone else for this would be attracted to the install & someone else doing all the work in terms of buying and ensuring quality products, etc.
This was pretty much us - plus a bumper around the fireplace.
It was easier just to teach DD how to go up and down the stairs. And, frankly, as a working mom, my kid was out of the house 10 hours a day anyway.