Nowadays, Trends are the fashion of the modern world. Without it, the media today would be in a frenzy about what to cover and so on. Trends make for a chunk of professionals who start their careers due to it. For example, many careers have grown and bloomed up due to their emergence as trends in the initial days (1). Gaming was a trend (2), a hobby that existed in the 2000s and ’90s, but today it’s a career. In the same way, pottery was a hobby or so a trend, but today it’s a career that guarantees you a contract with some of the biggest hotel chains and much more. Thus, trends seem to be the hotspot of career opportunities and much more.
In today’s world, the COVID-19 Pandemic surely has struck the chain off of everyone’s neck, and now people are making up for long lost opportunities that might strike them over their course of time. People are making up for hobbies and trends that they failed to carry out due to their jobs and much more. Trends like oil painting have become a national trend in the UK. Yard mowing (3), knitting, and much more have become trends in the United States. Similarly, some media applications have boosted the common man’s interest in pursuing these rather than dry out of boredom throughout the summer and winter!
During the Pandemic, the world was in a bit of frenzy, and surely bit isn’t the right word to put here but, if one knows how to make a time of their own and how to use it, surely the Pandemic would be another occurrence in the background of their imagination. The Pandemic’s global impact has made people work from home, which is such a boon to many to keep that relax mode on for themselves and experience home. The work from the home situation (4) has put people at new thoughts and goals. Trends are starting to grow every day; Trends like Baby proofing, healthy yards, and much more are growing to be a trend stopper, and it’s time that one pursues to follow this trend and try it out themselves!
The growth of trends during the Pandemic
Now, the world is currently facing the biggest Pandemic of the current generation, and it’s difficult to cope with such a pandemic, and that’s what the world proves to you. The imminent attack of the COVID-19 virus came as a surprising call to many. The virus has impacted billions of lives, and the working force of the globe is diminishing. Trends are being formed to accommodate the same (5). Trends like work from home, online classes, and such are paving the way for future expansion of modern ideas (6). The work from home situation is currently the biggest one to take. With billion of the workforce now working from home, it’s surely the biggest trend today. Many across the world are struggling and enjoying it at the same time. Some say it keeps them closer to their kids and enjoys losing time they couldn’t share with their kids due to work.
Working from home situation has been the talk of the town. Also, not all jobs can be done from home, causing the disparity. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics proves that around twenty-five percent of wage and salary workers had carried out work from home at least occasionally from 2017 to 2018 (7). College-educated employees are at least five times more likely than people with high school diplomas to have jobs that could allow them to work from home. Some professions may not have an option at all, such as medical services and manufacturing. Tech such as virtual private networks, voice over internet protocols, virtual meetings, cloud technology, work collaboration tools, and even facial recognition technologies make it possible for a person to appear in front of a virtual background to preserve the home’s privacy (8).
With the rise of the work from the home situation, one more trend does fit the Venn diagram. The trend of “Baby-proofing” has been a common trend nowadays(9). The trend has expanded and reached many. Baby proofing became a serious topic today than its inception many years ago. Due to this, the sale of baby proofing products has risen considerably over the past few months. Baby proofing is highly essential when it comes to the safety of the child during such a pandemic too. The estimates how that kid and older adults are prone to capture the virus due to low immunity. Thus, baby proofing is essential here. There are many kinds of baby proofing as well. One includes putting up speakers and talkies across the child’s room; this helps the parents to keep an attentive ear over the kid’s cries for any reason.
Baby proofing has risen considerably and continues to be an essential part of parenthood and child care. As long a parent has a child, he/she would take measures to purchase all the necessary equipment to keep a look of their child if they are busy with work or out for shopping, etc. The industry is considered to rise eventually with modern trends as well (11).
Growth of the Industry
There are increasing questions about the safety and protection of infants, changes in living standards, and concerns about the injuries and fatalities of babies and infants at home, all of which drive the economy for baby proofing. Demand for baby proofing products has been increasing rapidly in developed regions, particularly in North America. One of the main reasonable factors responsible for the increased use of baby proofing products is the growing population of working women, as women want their babies to be safe in their absence. Furthermore, due to poisoning, choking, burning, or drowning, almost 80 percent of all child deaths occur at home. With thorough safety and consultation with a baby-proofing expert, most baby and child injuries are preventable (12). Therefore, parents are currently opting for baby proofing services and consulting specialists for their children’s safety.
As parents now also have access to information on infants and better varieties of products to help prevent injuries, baby and infant proofing becomes more important. Even these days, public places such as resorts and hotels adopt baby and childproof services to be more child-friendly, with baby and child safety gaining prominence. Public places that are child-friendly provide a platform for children to create unique experiences, activities, and entertainment and are increasingly equipped with prevention measures. Most resorts and public places offer in-room baby proofing kits as well (13). The market can be segmented primarily into cabinet locks, knob covers, corner protectors, non-slip suction mats, toilet locks, DVD shields, etc., and baby monitors, among others, in terms of product type. Baby and childproofing have become essential, and many NGOs (government and voluntary organizations) are guiding and encouraging clients to adopt products for baby and infant proofing. Both for manufacturers and product standardization, strict guidelines are mandatory. One such organization, the International Association for Child Safety (IAFCS) (14), regulates the specialized child protection market with its members who instruct parents, evaluate child safety homes, and install safety products. The market is fragmented in terms of distribution channels into online and offline distribution channels.
In developed countries such as in Europe and the States, which have high awareness and concern for their children’s safety, the market for baby and infant proofing products has an extremely high rate. In the Asia Pacific region, MEA, and Central America, however, the market is growing. Market growth is expected to be encouraged by growing demand from China, Japan, Kuwait, Oman, and Brazil. In this market, China is showing the highest growth rate. The growth of baby proofing products market is driven by increased disposable family income, increasing concerns about baby care products, especially baby safety and convenience products, and awareness of children’s health and safety.
Statistics and reports
In the forecast period, market research analysts predict that the global market for baby and childproofing products will grow steadily and post a CAGR of nearly 7 percent by 2020 (15). The increase in the number of hotels and resorts offering childproof rooms is identified in this industry research report as one of the major factors that will positively impact this market’s growth for baby and childproofing products in the coming years. There is a rising want among parents to go for kid-friendly hotels and resorts, with access to information on child injury and awareness of products’ availability to prevent it. In turn, this forces hotels and resorts to offer services that are baby and childproof.
Europe will contribute most to the market in revenue over the next four years regarding geographical areas. The market’s growth prospects will be driven by local governments’ campaigns to ensure babies’ and children’s safety, product innovations, and the increase in the number of childbirths. Also, identifying potential safety risks that induce parents to prefer expert opinion will fuel child and baby proofing products.
As a Career Option? That too, in India!
The Pandemic surely kicked around many of us in our daily lives and created an impact on employment as well, so it comes to make us wonders as to what we could do that is unique and intuitive that is untapped in the current industry. Surprisingly, baby proofing is now a career in India (16), and that too in a country where such careers are taboo to the common man. Hilarious! As explained, the industry shows you that the industry is lucrative and is expected to boom in some years. It shouldn’t surprise you, considering that India is a country with 130 Crore citizens, and around eight lakh infants are born every day. Therefore, the market is very untapped in the nation due to the old baby care systems that do not have these modernities.
But with present modern-day routines, the baby care factor comes into question. Baby care in India is now a need more than a want. The Pandemic will prove you certainly. The urban class societies now take the initiative to prove everything that exists at home(17). Many parents purchase baby proof solutions and baby proof equipment, baby proof toys, and much more. They bring up baby “proofers” who could baby proof the house for you. These baby proofers would modify all décor and equipment that could potentially harm your child. For example, the corner of a table cutaway with a round table. Glass would be a ban. Baby cradles will have a higher top and thus preventing the child from falling. Even if the child tried to climb out, the child’s room would be padded with soft flooring that doesn’t hurt the child when they fall.
Baby proofers need to recognize the behavior of a child. You will also have to predict what kind of circumstances might arise that could put a child at risk. The house of new parents, for instance, could have a low-positioned power outlet. The child may stick his/her finger in it and get electrocuted if that’s the case. For these issues, you need to provide solutions. This is so that the parents are comfortable, and the kids are safe from risk. It is a security job at the end of the day that will bring you great satisfaction!. The room will be painted a bright color to create an ambiance; the windows would certainly be raised higher than the child’s height. The room too would Cameras and mics fit into corners, and the parents can monitor the child whenever and wherever. Thus, the child’s room involves many chances and fittings involving higher maintenance and pay scale. Finances would be high as well.
