A mum of two has shared that she doesn't believe in baby-proofing homes to keep children safe, and that they will learn by trial and error.
Blogger Abby Plested, a 23-year-old mum from New Zealand, told Stuff her best baby-proofing hack was not to baby-proof her home at all for children Houston, 3, and Goldie, 3 months. "Don't baby-proof," she said. "Let them learn and they won't do it again."
When questioned by the Daily Mail about her attitude to baby-proofing, Abby softened a little.
"There is a place and a need to baby-proof some parts of your home, however, I think you can go over the top with it.
"I have never put baby gates up in my home or stairs because I think it's important for the baby to learn boundaries without these."
Abby said she has a large cactus in her home that Houston has touched only once, and now will "never go near it again".
Abby admitted that she makes choices about furniture with her children in mind, saying she would love to have a glass dining table but knows it isn't practical with small children. She also makes sure mirrors, cupboards and shelves are safely attached to the walls.
Some commenters on the Daily Mail agreed. One wrote, "The only thing I did was add a lock to the cupboard with clean stuff inโฆTaught my kids to navigate the stairs as soon as they started crawling, exactly the same as my mum did with me and my siblings. Children are clever, they learn quickly, best of all keep an eye on them!"
Others questioned Abby's qualifications. "Not taking parenting advice from a 23-year-old mother of two. Just because she's spat two kids out doesn't make her an expert," wrote one.