Kids

Why We Have Baby Safety Month Every September

by Kevyn Gohu
September 8, 2023

As a reminder for parents, the Philippines celebrates Baby Safety Month 2023 this September.

One of the greatest sources of parents’ anxiety is whether their baby is safe at home or anywhere they go. Especially working parents, sometimes, their attention will have to be shared between their colleagues and their crawling or sleeping child. And most of the time, the things that happen to our babies often occur when we’re looking away. But that’s why we do our best to baby-proof the house and we can do so this Baby Safety Month.

Why We Have Baby Safety Month Every September

When did Baby Safety Month start?

In 1983, The Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association (JPMA) began celebrating Baby Safety Month together with Expectant Mother’s Day. They also celebrate it in September because it’s the 9th month of the year! Although originally, it was only for a day, the celebration became a week-long occasion with actress Jayne Kennedy who was also crowned Miss Ohio in 1970.

Eventually, the week turned into a month-long celebration when Nevada certified the celebration followed by the governor of California issuing a resolution to observe it as Baby Safety Month in 2009.

What do people do on Baby Safety Month anyway?

Some people will celebrate Baby Safety Month by raising awareness of certain household chemicals that can hurt the baby or showcase home hacks to baby-proof the house. Items like bleach, strong laundry detergent, floor polisher, and maybe even typical soap and shampoo can end up in our babies’ mouths because they crawl on the floor, giving them bad stomach aches. Others will stick their fingers in an open socket, thinking it’s a shape-sorter toy.

Babies, during a particular stage in their lives, love to explore. They will crawl everywhere and interact with everything, usually by either grabbing it or sticking it in their mouths.

Why do babies seemingly get into trouble?

But babies don’t get into trouble consciously or purposely, as if they know your hair turns white with worry every time they do something. They do all sorts of things because their way of learning is through exploring and experimenting. But at their age, they are in a stage that Psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud calls the oral stage wherein babies derive the most pleasure from their mouths which is how they learn about objects. Unfortunately, they will chew on everything. Even things that are not food.

But during Baby Safety Month, it’s a call for parents to be aware that all babies start out that way and it’s our job to make their learning experience safe for them.

A month to help new parents adjust to their babies

Although our bouncing babies are always a source of joy, they are also sometimes our greatest source of anxiety. When new parents are trying to find a way to fit the baby into their new environment, we go through a lot of trial and error. Especially when family members are not nearby or available, it can be quite stressful to find something that works. But on Baby Safety Month, it’s a month-long celebration and campaign of awareness to finding the best products that will enhance our baby and our own lifestyle as a new family.