Tips for How to Baby Proof Your Home

We all know that children are curious creatures and will explore any area or item they can get to or reach. This is how they learn. As parents, we want our children, and visiting children, to be safe in our home while they learn about the world around them. Baby proofing your home is the best way to ensure their safety. Here are several ways you can make your home a safe haven for your little ones.

1. Cover all electrical outlets with plastic covers. There are many different kinds available. The most common are the plastic two pronged ones that fit securely into an outlet, blocking it from curious little fingers. Another type on the market requires a bit of electrical know-how to install. These hardwired outlets often require the operator to slide open or twist the outlet plate using the plug, thus reducing the chance for little fingers to find their way to danger.

2. Get down on the floor and look around and look up. As young children become mobile, they have a different point of view than adults. If you get down and look around you will see things that young children might find interesting enough to put into their mouths. Make sure that you vacuum or sweep your floors regularly. Even the tiniest speck of lint, paper, or dirt will look appealing enough to a small child to ingest. While you are on the floor, look up. What do you see that could pose a threat? Place any fragile or breakable items that children might find interesting out of site or out of reach. This reduces temptation from little ones to attempt to obtain or break those items, reducing their chances of being injured. Remember the rule of thumb that if an item fits inside a toilet paper tube it poses a choking hazard to children. This goes for toys as well as household items.

3. If you own a fireplace or wood stove, make sure you place a fireplace screen in front of it. This will make it more difficult for a child to touch the hot surface. Despite placing a screen, all small children should be supervised by a responsible adult while they are in a room with a hot fireplace or wood stove.

4. Place baby gates at the entrances of rooms where you do not want children to access (i.e. kitchen or bathrooms) or rooms you want them to stay in (i.e. baby proofed bedrooms or playrooms.) Also, place gates at the top and bottom of staircases. There are many types of gates available in a range of prices, from inexpensive pressure gates which fit securely in doorways by pressure alone allowing for an easily removable barrier, to pricier gates that are installed with hardware for a permanent barrier. Be aware that pressure gates and certain hardware installed gates should not be used at the top or bottom of staircases. When purchasing a gate, choose one that is appropriate for your needs and location.

5. Use child locks and door knobs on cabinets and doors you do not want children to access, such as medicine cabinets or cabinets containing cleaning supplies or other hazardous materials. Child locks come in a variety of shapes and sizes from ones that install with screws to the interior of cabinets to locks that "zip" closed around external handles with zip tie like straps to magnetic locks which require a magnetic "key" to open them. Door knob covers clip closed over any doorknob and spin separately from the knob itself. Pressure is applied to two points allowing the cover to grasp the knob allowing it to be opened. Small children are often not strong enough to remove the cover from the knob or squeeze it to open the door.

6. Secure any furniture that could easily topple if a child pulls up on it or attempts to climb it. Items such as bookshelves and TVs are heavy and often top heavy allowing them to be easily tipped. Small children can be severely injured by the falling of a heavy item, possibly even resulting in the death of the child. Bolts and straps can be used to secure these items to the wall and are available at your local hardware store.

7. Be aware of where you set cups of hot coffee, tea or other hot beverages. Children who are learning to pull up to standing or who have already learned to walk may grab for cups that are too close to table edges resulting in severe burns. Also, do not carry hot beverage or drink hot beverages while holding a small child. A baby may reach out and grab a hot cup or a toddler may squirm to be put down resulting in a spill and possible burns.

8. Do not allow children in the kitchen when cooking. Splatters and boil-overs can occur causing burns. Stove doors can also become hot or can be accidentally opened resulting in burns. If you must have a child in the kitchen while you cook, have a safe area away from where you are working so the child may play (with some pots and pans and wooden spoons, perhaps). It is also a good idea to get in the habit of turning all pot handles to the back of the stove and do not leave knives or other sharp utensils close to the edges of counters.

9. Never place a child's crib or playpen near windows. Falls and strangulation can occur. Make sure your windows are locked securely and if you open your windows to let in fresh air, use special locks, available at most hardware stores, that prevent the windows from opening more than a few inches. If you have curtains or blinds, make sure the cords for opening are kept out of reach to prevent strangulation. There are cord keepers available on the market that wind cords up inside. Also, make sure that power cords are secured and tucked out of sight. Loose power cords can also pose strangulation risks as well as the risk for electrical shock if chewed on.

10. Never leave your child unattended in the bathtub. Make sure you have everything you need at hand before you put your child in the water. A child can drown very quickly in only a few inches of water. Test the water temperature before placing your child in the tub. There are fun looking thermometers available that tell you the temperature of the water while floating around in the bath. If you have a faucet in your tub that juts out you may want to cover it with a spout cover. These soft covers are available in most stores and come in several different styles and designs and can prevent your child from banging their heads or backs.

11. If you child is learning to walk, you should get back down on the floor and take note of anything they could pull up on or possibly fall on. Be aware of corners of tables, coffee tables or anything that was out of reach during the crawling stage that is now easily accessible. These items can pose a threat when a wobbly child pulls up or topples. You can buy soft plastic bumpers that attach to corners with adhesive or screws to prevent head injuries if a little one bumps their head on a table edge. Also, be aware of using table clothes or dangling decorations. A child can easily tug on a table cloth and bring down everything from the table on to his or her head, often resulting in injuries or burns.

If you follow these ideas for creating a safe area for your kids, you will find that they will be much safer and you won't have to worry as much about their safety. Just keep in mind that no home can be completely baby proofed. There will still be some dangers here and there. If you supervise your children, are aware of what they play with, your happy baby will grow to be a responsible parent who follows the same baby proofing practices for their children.