Baby proofing your home should be a top priority even before the baby starts walking. Many household accidents and headaches could be prevented with proper babyproofing, so it should be your priority!
The most common first step is to cover any exposed outlets they can easily reach, but that alone isn’t enough. Let’s take a look at how to baby-proof a house with tips and a room-by-room checklist.
“It is the nature of babies to be in bliss. – Deepak Chopra
You don’t have to do everything at once
While babyproofing is usually very affordable, it can be overwhelming to get through everything at once. Fortunately, that’s not a necessity.
Your baby will not be able to reach tall cabinets anytime between the first years, so you don’t have to worry about that for now. Focus on the most immediate baby proofing needs, which always start at the bottom.
Speaking of which, using tall places to store potentially dangerous items is a good strategy. Things like medicine, cleaning products, glass containers, cords, and other similar products should be stored higher up.
Start from the bottom up
To escape having to do everything at once, start from the bottom. Cover outlets, then tackle any cabinets that are easy to reach. Also be careful with furniture that can easily topple over, as well as access to stairs or considerable falls.
After a few months, you can make further improvements, such as blocking drawers – particularly kitchen drawers, since those give access to sharp and dangerous objects. For example, starting to baby-proof electrical outlets is a safe first step.
Baby proofing checklist per room
With the basics out of the way, let’s get more specific on what you can do per room with a baby-proof checklist:
Bedroom
Install window guards to keep your baby safe even when the window is open – especially if the crib is near the window, which, by the way, it shouldn’t be.
Don’t use too many pillows and blankets in the crib, as these aren’t necessary for comfort and can be suffocation hazards.
Install a baby gate by the door to prevent them from leaving the nursery once they start walking. Better to hear them over a baby monitor and get up to check than to wake up because they hurt themselves somewhere in the house. You should also install a baby gate by the stairs.
Living room
If you have a center (or coffee) table, be mindful of its design. Some of them have really sharp edges that a baby can easily walk into and hurt themselves.
Hide any cords from nearby electronics. You don’t want them to be able to reach the outlet or mess with these cables – outside of potentially electrocuting themselves, they can also choke by playing with them.
Watch for any furniture that can easily topple over. Lamps, chairs, stools, even a bookshelf – pay extra attention around the living room for anything that can be easily climbed on.
Kitchen
First and foremost, babies should not be allowed in the kitchen, especially not by themselves. Use safety latches and locks to baby-proof cabinets and drawers, where they would most commonly find dangerous items and substances.
Be sure to keep plastic bags and foils behind these locked compartments, or at least high up and out of reach. Children can suffocate by playing with plastic bags.
Finally, be careful with refrigerator magnets. These are often small and easy to swallow, so store them away for now.
Bathroom
Many dangerous appliances reside in the bathroom, such as hair dryers, shavers, and curling irons. Be sure to never leave these out of storage once you’re done using them, and be sure to lock the door that gives access to them. The same goes for razors.
Medicine and beauty products should be out of reach and preferably locked away, since ingesting them can be extremely dangerous. Even toothpaste should be kept out of reach.
Use a toilet lid lock to prevent your baby from venturing inside the toilet, where they can get hurt or even drown.
With the help of a handyman, you can install all the babyproofing you need. Get free quotes from a handyman in your area today!
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