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How to Babyproof Your Home


Having a baby means serious changes in your life and lifestyle, and while you have nine months to get used to the idea, once your baby is here, changes come at you quickly. What seemed like a perfect space for you and your spouse is suddenly a potentially dangerous place when you have an active crawler and then toddler.  There are real dangers in your everyday household items, but with some planning and staying a step ahead of your baby’s development, you can babyproof your home with relative ease.

The Kitchen

You spend a lot of time in the kitchen, and it is probably the most potentially dangerous place for a baby or toddler.  One of the biggest items is cleaning supplies and medicines.  Be sure to store these either in a high, inaccessible cabinet, or make a small investment in cabinet latches, available nearly anywhere you find baby items.  Stoves are problematic, too, but you can find oven locks and covers for the controls.  Get in the habit of turning pan handles backwards on the stove so that curious hands won’t be able to pull over a hot pot.  Keeping a cabinet of plastic items at your baby’s reach with will give him something safe to do while you’re busy.

Bathrooms

You want your baby or toddler to become used to the idea of the potty, since soon enough you’ll be encouraging him to use it, but you may need to install a toilet lock to keep your curious little one from putting toys into the bowl – and flushing them.  Invest in cabinet locks so that your cleaning and other supplies are inaccessible, and unplug hair dryers and other electrical appliances as soon as you finish using them.

Furniture and Plants

Some of your furniture may need to be bolted to the wall with L brackets or secured with earthquake straps to make it babyproof.  Check at your hardware store for what works best, but be sure that heavy furniture is secure. If your toddler were to pull over a heavy bookcase, dresser, or entertainment center, he could be seriously injured.

Any parent who has survived the toddler years will tell you that a toddler’s head is like a magnet for the coffee table.  Even rounded edges won’t guarantee that a head won’t get bumped, so consider moving your furniture around until your child’s balance improves, or invest in some padding for the edges. 
If you bring your houseplants in for the cold weather, be sure they are out of your baby’s reach.  Some plants are toxic to humans, so you want to be sure your baby or toddler cannot pull off leaves, flowers, or berries and eat them.  This may take some creativity since you don’t want to put heavy plants up high where they could fall and injure anyone.

Gates

A natural reaction to having a baby is, “We need a bigger house.”  A single story house with a closed floor plan is easier at first because your child can only get so far away.   If you do have rooms and stairs you want to make off limits, you can find a wide variety of baby gates anywhere baby products are sold.  These are not the old-fashioned diamond shaped gates that encouraged pinched fingers and trapped heads; you can find mesh, plastic, and clear barriers for steps and banisters. Do some measuring and shopping around, and you’ll find what works best.

Electrical Outlets

Toddlers love to imitate, so they will see you plug in an appliance and want to do the same.  Be sure your electrical outlets are covered with babyproof plastic inserts that will keep busy fingers from trying to “plug in” nearly anything that will fit.

Outside
 
Your yard may need babyproofing, too.  While re-landscaping may be out of the question, you can make sure gates are secure, any holes in the yard are filled in, and lawn equipment is kept safely from baby’s reach.

Nothing Babyproofs Like You

While nothing can replace adult supervision, knowing that you have some basic babyproofing measures in place will allow you peace of mind and let you duck into the next room for a moment without too much worry for your baby’s safety. 
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