Top 5 Most Useless Babyproofing Items : eBay Guides

Some of you have been there, done that: tried to set up a safe environment for your little one to roam about as harmlessly as possible. So, yes, I've also been there and done that, quite extravagantly, time consumingly and expensively I might add.

So here's my own personal list of the Top 5 Most Useless Babyproofing Items:

1. Hard plastic corner/edge guards: They are the cheapest around, and for a good reason. They never stay in place, but miraculously enough, their glue does: on your furniture. My daughter only fiddled with them for under a minute and took them off completely. It then took me half an hour to get the glue out. And I thought, OK, obviously the profound knowledge of gluing these things down has eluded me, and so I tried again. Three times over, in fact. Only to be humbled by my one-year old daughter, who, each time, got better and quicker at un-sticking them! Plus, these things are harder than the actual corner they are supposed to protect! Use the foam stuff instead!
2. Video Protectors/Locks: I'm sure you've come across them and thought, hey, what a nice idea. Well, that's what I thought too. That's what my daughter thought as well, when she dismantled the whole thing (the protector, not the vcr machine) in 10 seconds flat.
3. Cheap Sticky fridge locks: The standard cheap ones are a total disaster. They managed to withstand 3-4 attempts of my little devil to open the fridge and then they either snapped or got unstuck. At least trying to get the glue off the fridge was an easier task than the corner guards. Trust me on this: pay more money and get the expensive type, which actually stays on.
4. Sticky, no-screw drawer/cupboard latches: I'm reffering to the type that's installed on the inside, not the outside of the drawer or cupboard. They are difficult to install, and once installed, they can withstand only a couple of attempts to open the cupboard before they get unstuck and fail completely. Go for the screws version, which is more durable.
5. Roller window blinds for the car: They look so much better than the stationary smiling bear / cat / and the rest of the absolutely horribly non-tasteful, I-have-kids-in-the-car screaming blinds, don't they. Well, they do work fine (if you manage to get them stuck properly and if you manage to always remember NOT to lower your rear windows, EVER) BUT only until your baby can reach for them (which, in my case, was when my daughter was about 6 months old). Then they are totally useless, as your child will use them as a toy, grabbing and pulling at them (and have a taste of them whenever possible).

So here it is, my personal Top 5 Most Useless Babyproofing Items.