Painting Around 13 Month Old?

HI A.
Itis possible to get the wallpaper off and paint all in the same day?
Just ask her if she is using latex or enamil paint- latex has slight odors and will fade within 30 minutes or so- as long as the windows are open and there is plenty of fresh air- enamel paint around little ones is a big no no.
just take plenty of toys to keep him occupied or possibly put him in a pac andplay near an open window or door- should not e a problem.
good luck and blessings

I would suggest you have the windows open and put your son in another room other than the one you are working in.

It will also depend on the type of products you are using. Are they the heavy duty kind with lots of fumes or are they the more environment friendly type that is on the market today?

There are paints out there that are low-fume...ask your friend what she is using. Even if it's not the low-fume stuff, I think it would still probably be OK if the windows are open. If he still likes something like an exersaucer (or whatever they call those now!), you might try that, at least for a while. Even if you can't totally finish the job with your friend, every little bit will be appreciated, I'm sure. Painting is a daunting job to do by yourself!

I would absolutely NOT do it. Yes, it is true that paints these days are much better than they used to be, but my concern would be over the removal of the wallpaper. Things like how old is the house, what's under the wallpaper? Old paint? If so and if it is an older home then there is good chance that there might be lead in the old paint. If the child is outside or in another room then he would be out of harm's way, but personally, I wouldn't take a chance and explain to my friend. Would it be possible to make arrangements to not bring your son? Just my two cents...

You are right to worry, you DON'T want to have your 13 month old around the fumes.

Who are you trying to protect? Your friends feelings or your son's health? Speak up and advocate for your child. It's okay to speak up for your kid. I'm sure your friend will understand. Surely.

If the windows are open it should really not be an issue. Ask her to buy a low VOC paint and that will help as well.

Over the last 3 years we have done a lot of this stuff in our house. Bless you for trying to do this with a 13 month old in tow! We had to wait until they were older---just too distracting , but.....

Oil based paints are not too pleasant for fumes, but water based paints are not bad. It's better for everyone (!) if the windows are open a bit during this project.

One thing I didn't see, is about the texturing. After paper comes down, who is texturing the walls to prep them for paint? That texture stuff is nasty and last time we did that, we set up an enclosed work area with lots of plastic (like a bubble---floor to ceiling) and blew the smell of that stuff out the nearest window with fans.

The by product that paint produces while it's drying is called volatile organic compounds or VOC. They are carcinogenic. In my home I use Olympic paint from Lowe's. It is environmentally friendly, has no VOC's, no odor and it costs the same as regular paint. I love it and nobody is breathing the toxic fumes. Hope this helps!

Open the windows, and go crazy. Your kid is going to be fine! I painted two coats over every single wall and ceiling of my (feels like huge) house. My little dude was only 9 months. Just make sure your guy can't get his little curious fingers in the paint!

We recently looked into low VOC paints for our own home. We were told that some paint companies have reduced the VOC levels in their base paints. We were also told that all color that is mixed into the base still has VOC's, so in reality, paints that would be used in a home still have some level of VOC's.

Babies and small children have faster rates of breathing than adults and, therefore, take in more air and pollution and chemicals, etc. for their sizes. Plus, the effects of exposure might not be immediately noticeable, for instance, asthma can take years to develop.

I would recommend no painting exposure for your little one.

I wouldn't worry about most modern paints. Just ask her to open a few windows for your son's sake. Or, tell her you won't be able to help her until you find a babysitter.

I am really funny about things like that too. I mean, how big is the kitchen, will you be able to focus on painting a kitchen and watching your little one at the same time? Whenever I have a project like that, I get someone to watch my little guy. One because he is only two and I do think about fumes etc and two because even when he was younger and less mobile he would still need a good bit of my attention. So I don't know for sure on the fume side but I probably wouldn't. Good luck!

I think if you put him in another room where you can keep an eye on him it will be fine. I wouldn't put him in the kitchen with you though. Maybe a pack n play in the other room or sitting in a high chair?

First of all, if you have a 13 month old who is going to allow you to do that, congratulations! Secondly, you are right to worry about the fumes. Here's some support if you need it:
http://www.chp.edu/CHP/Paint+Fumes+Remodeling+Debris
http://www.childrensrooms.org.uk/painting-a-childs-room/

Your baby is more important than helping your friend. Either wait till you can get a babysitter or tell your friend you're sorry, but you just can't do it. If she's a good friend, she'll understand.