Bringing Baby Home: Your Guide to Childproofing Your Home

Welcoming a new baby into the world is one of the most exciting times in a family’s life. But once your little bundle of love masters crawling, look out! No wait, look up. Crawling on hands and knees is one thing. Learning how to stand is another. That tiny ball of energy is going to be walking, no, running, all over your home discovering every corner in no time. You’re going to want to start from the ground and work your way up in childproofing your home – that’s the key right there. You must think like your toddler-a mini MacGyver- how can they get up, over and on top of…anything and everything?

On average, babies start to crawl at 8 months and some babies are even taking their first steps between nine and 12 months…so you don’t have as much time as you may think. Whether you’re buying a new home to accommodate a growing family or babyproofing your current home, it’s important to purchase the right supplies to protect your growing (and exploring) child. Because if you turn your attention away for even a second, they’ll find a way to take seemingly harmless household items and create mass chaos.

Childproofing Your Home

Simply put, safety is the number one priority in babyproofing your home. The CDC reports that unintentional injuries are the leading cause of childhood death each year. Although this is a sobering statistic, don’t let it alarm you. Thankfully there are some easy fixes you can make around the house to ease your worries and begin childproofing your home today. And you don’t need any fancy gadgets or high-tech devices to get the job done.

Gates

One of the easiest ways to prevent your child from getting into trouble is to block their path. From the stairs to the stove, restrict access to hazardous areas to help prevent accidental injuries.

Locks

If you store cleaning supplies, medications, detergents, toiletries or other household products under the kitchen or bathroom sink, it’s time to lock up the cabinets. Unfortunately, these knobs are the easiest for your child to access, so either replace those dangerous items with squishy, soft toilet paper rolls and towels, or lock them up with the appropriate safety latches.

Furniture

Children love to climb which makes furniture, like bookcases and dressers, a very attractive Ninja Warrior course. Anchor appliances, like your TV, securely to the wall to prevent scary (and all too common) tipover tragedies.

Corners

Although you may not realize it, you home is filled with sharp corners. Take a look around at your coffee table and fireplace, for example, those sharp edges can be a potential safety hazard. Cover them with foam cushions or corner guards to help prevent injuries from falls.

Fireplace

Speaking of the fireplace, make it a standard practice to have a safety grill in front of the fireplace at all time. Establish this as an “off-limits” zone and be sure to secure any matches or lighters in a cabinet, with a childproof lock, of course.

Outlets

It’s so important to keep tiny fingers away from electrical outlets in your home. Purchase a pack of plastic covers that fit snugly into each outlet or replace existing wall plates with sliding outlet covers.

Kitchen

Yes, the kitchen is the heart of the home, but it’s also a one of the most challenging rooms to childproof because of the number of dangers that can lurk within. The safest tip is constant supervision, but when you’re busy cooking dinner, this can be a difficult task. Instead, use a gate to block access to the hot stove and dishwasher which could potentially house sharp knives and forks. Also keep trash cans in inaccessible cupboards or use cans with child-resistant covers and secure the refrigerator with an appliance latch.

Look Around

Take a look around for potential choking hazards and other hidden home dangers. For example, get in the habit now of pushing your steaming cup of coffee to the back of the counter (out of their reach), move your loose change sitting by the front door and remove all small magnets from the refrigerator. Never place a crib or playpen near a window blind to prevent strangulation and inspect pools and spa drains for missing or broken drain covers to prevent drowning.

So, unless your living room is already ready to withstand the speed of a toddler in a heated Hot Wheels race, it’s time to get childproofing.