A Checklist for Babyproofing Your Home

August 25, 2021

Becoming a parent has a way of changing everything, in the very best way! Babies and children fill your heart and your home with joy in ways you never imagined. Prior to having children, there are so many things that may have never crossed your mind. Once you have a baby on the way however, preparing both your heart and your home are so important to ensuring you are ready to embark on the beautiful journey of parenthood! One of the biggest ways to prepare yourself for a new little one is to ensure that your home is ready to serve as a safe place for your child. We have compiled a room-to-room checklist to help you prep your space and keep it babyproof!

 

1.  The Kitchen

The kitchen is one of the most used rooms within a home, but it certainly can pose danger to small children if not properly secured. Keep all stove and oven knobs safe with knob covers to eliminate the risk of your child turning them on. Always be sure to keep hot pans on the burners on the back of the stove and keep handles turned in so that little hands can’t reach up and grab them while you are cooking. If you frequently use a crock pot, be sure to plug it in to an outlet that is out of reach so that little ones can’t reach up and pull it down. Keep garbage cans secure and place cabinet locks on any cupboards you do not want them in! Small children naturally love to explore, so you may consider keeping one cabinet within their reach unlocked and stocked with items they can safely explore! (For example, place inside a couple of empty Tupperware containers and some rubber spatulas)

 

2.  The Laundry Room

The laundry room is a space that your child may follow you into while you are doing laundry, but we suggest keeping a gate or some sort of barrier up so that they do not wander in without you! Always keep washer and dryer doors closed and secure. Keep laundry pods up and out of reach along with irons and any fabric softeners and laundry drying puffs! Your little one may be tempted to place small laundry pods and other like items into their mouth and that is highly toxic. Keeping them on a shelf high up out of reach is key! If you store cleaning items in the laundry room, be sure those too are out of reach. We suggest keeping any cleaning items in a cabinet and securing it with a child lock.

 

3.  Bathrooms

Bathrooms are a space that we recommend small children only go into alongside you! Keep toilet lids closed to avoid them reaching or falling in and consider using a toilet lock. Store all medicine out of reach and use a safety lock for extra protection. Be sure that water temperatures in your bathroom are set to a comfortable temperature to avoid your child from turning water on the hot setting.

 

 4.  Nursery/Bedrooms

Your child’s room is one of the spaces that needs to be extra secure as they will be left unattended in here. If your child were to wake in the middle of the night without you hearing, you want to be sure to eliminate all potential danger! Young toddlers can quickly learn to climb out of their cribs, so you want to be sure you are prepared if they get into trouble with you in there! Ensure that all mattresses are set to the lowest setting as the earliest sign of mobility in young babies. Keep all windows closed and locked while outside screens should be free of any tears. Avoid hanging heavy items over the crib, bed and changing table to avoid your child pulling them down. Secure all large furniture (think dressers and end tables) to avoid the possibility of tipping over on top of a little climber. Be sure all outlets have covers and avoid placing night lights in outlets that are low enough to be reached by small hands.

 

For the remainder of your home, here are some simple ways to ensure that your space is safe:

• Cover all outlets with outlet covers
• Keep electrical cords hidden and out of reach
• Secure all large furniture to the wall
• Keep pet food and pet water bowls out of reach
• Vacuum regularly and check under furniture to eliminate all small choking hazards
• Consider placing door knob safety covers on all doors inside
• Place child proof safety latches on doors that lead to the outside
• Double check that windows throughout your home are locked and window blinds/cords are secure and out of reach
• Store all highly hazardous items (batteries, magnets, sharp items, medicine and cleaning items or chemicals locked up)
• Use safety gates at the top/bottom of stairs as well as to block off any spaces you do not want them to be in

In addition to these tips, we highly encourage you to be sure that the products you are using to keep your home clean are safe as well! Checkout our post on How to clean your house without chemicals - Organicbabyfood.shop and share any additional tips you have on keeping your home babyproof with us below! 

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