How to childproof your home: Here’s everything you have to do before your baby starts crawling

As parents, there’s no doubt that there are numerous factors to worry about when your child is born. At the top of your list? Your child’s safety, of course, which unfortunately may be compromised no matter how thorough you are preparing for their arrival.

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One of the best ways to ensure this? Child-proofing your home. This step is essential especially when your baby starts crawling, which they can do, from as early as eight months. Unsure as to how or where to start? Don’t worry, here is everything you need to know about how to childproof your home, room by room!

The living room

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Your living room can be a pretty tough area to tackle, depending on what is the furniture and layout of the space. Here are some general tips you can look out for when it comes to baby-proofing:

  • Make sure candles and matches are completely out of reach. It is too easy for toddlers to burn themselves on lit candles, or to accidentally light up a match and set the house ablaze. Small tea lights can also be choking hazards, so make sure to move them on a high shelf where they are unable to reach them, or remove them from the room entirely.
  • Photo frames are mounted up and out of reach. Alternatively, you can try swapping them out to plastic frames, but just make sure that they don’t contain glass. It’ll be too easy for children to accidentally knock over any frames displayed on tables and counter tops, causing the glass to shatter and hurting them in the process.
  • Keep your TV mounted. Having a stand or putting your TV up on a table could potentially be hazardous, as children might try to climb up on it, which consequentially could lead to the TV falling on them.
  • Cover or conceal exposed power plugs. Children are naturally curious, and could try to unplug wires or stick metal objects into the holes. You can always opt for zip cable wire cords to hide the wires, or a cable management box to keep all power plugs and wires organised.
  • Check to see if the edges of your table are sharp. Tables that have square edges or that are made of glass are prone to slicing and cutting toddlers who are just learning how to walk. You can always cover them by wrapping the edges in thick masking tape, or getting corner and edge guards.
  • Check your curtains or window blinds at home to see if they come with a cord. If they do, make sure to cut off or put the cords out of reach. Toddlers may get tangled up in the cords while crawling and strangle themselves in a matter of seconds, so ensure that there is no way that can happen by removing them from the equation entirely.

The kitchen

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When it comes to knowing how to childproof your home, the kitchen is one of the rooms in a house that you have to pay the most attention to. With everything from hot ovens, knives, and complex machinery (we’re looking at your blenders and microwaves, for instance), it is probably best to keep your toddler from going in there entirely. Here are some handy ways you can keep your child safe:

  • Install a baby-gate to prevent toddlers from entering the kitchen. You can easily purchase them from specialty stores or major supermarkets.,
  • Knives, breakables, and heavy pots and pans are kept away and out of reach. We recommend hiding them in high cabinets!
  • Secure refrigerators with an appliance latch. This is to keep toddlers from yanking at it and pulling the whole refrigerator down on them, which could lead to catastrophic consequences.
  • Move cleaning agents, medicines, vitamins, or any potentially toxic items up and out of reach as well.
  • Don’t use table cloths or place mats on your tables as the sight of dangling fabric might tempt children into yanking them down.
  • Secure child-proof lids on your rubbish bins to prevent toddlers from rooting through your trash.

The bathroom

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The bathroom is also one of the major places of concern when it comes to learning how to childproof your home. Here are some sure-fire methods you should employ to ensure the safest experience for your child:

  • Put rubber spout covers (should you have a bath tub) and tap covers to protect your child from injuring themselves should they attempt to crawl on or up them.
  • Put non-slip mats in your bath tub, should you have one.
  • Install locks and or safety latches on any cabinets that contain toxic or dangerous substances, such as bleach or toilet cleaner. This applies to medication and vitamins as well!
  • Make sure heating tools such as hair dryers and hair straighteners are kept away after each use, preferably in a locked or high-up cabinet where toddlers are unable to access them.
  • Keep your toilet lid closed to prevent kids from sticking their head in! If anything, you can also always opt to install a latch onto it as well.
  • Put locks or door covers onto door knobs to prevent your child from slipping into the bathroom in the first place!

The bedroom

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The room where your child sleeps is, of course, one of the most important rooms to childproof. Here are a few pointers to get you started:

  • Make sure your crib or bed is set up safely. Once your child is able to sit up on their own, it is recommended you lower the crib mattress should they attempt to climb out of it.
  • Be wary when it comes to storing stuffed toys in cribs as well. Smaller ones can serve as choking hazards, while larger ones can double as step-stools to help them fall out of their crib. The best possible solution is to keep away stuffed toys whenever your child is done playing with them, rather than leaving them in the crib as a permanent fixture.
  • Ensure that all windows in bedrooms are secured with latches and locks, especially if your crib or sleeping area is right by a window. Inquisitive children may attempt to lift them or crawl out, which spells disaster no matter which floor you live on.
  • Secure drawers, dressers, and cupboards with appliance latches as how you would do it with the refrigerator in your kitchen. You don’t want them tipping over should your toddler attempt to pull at them!

Where are some places I should check out to purchase these safety measures?

There are a variety of options where you can purchase safety gates, locks, as well as child-proof latches, such as: