Childproofing the House
Even before your baby gets moving, it is time for you to get on all fours, crawl around the house, and make sure that everything is safe. Remember that your main goal in getting your house childproofed is creating a safe environment for your baby to explore and play in.
General Tips
Although the kitchen and the bathroom can be especially hazardous, every room of the house that your baby can enter has to be safe. There are many basic safety measures to take care of in each room, including:
Putting covers on unused electrical outlets (these can range from simple plastic plugs to more sophisticated covers that slide or pop off to make outlets easily accessible)
Installing gates on stairs, both at the top and bottom of each staircase
Either removing furniture with sharp edges or installing soft guards
Removing breakables from low shelves and tables
Placing nonskid backing on rugs that your child might slip or slide on
Installing “no-tip” accessories or wall anchors for heavy furniture so it can't fall over on your child
Placing finger guards on doors so they don't slam on your infant's fingers
Keeping cords for window shades or blinds out of reach
Placing window guards on upstairs windows so your kids won't fall through the screens if the window is open
Securing electrical cords with cord holders and electrical outlet protectors
Setting the temperature of hot water heaters to 120ºF
You should also look carefully for hidden dangers and remove them. Things to watch for range from the little plastic caps on door stops, which kids can choke on, to heavy items on low carts or tables that can easily tip over, especially TVs.
It is never too soon to childproof your house, but do it at least by the time your baby is six months old. If you wait much longer your infant may already be crawling, cruising, or walking, and then you probably won't discover hazards until they have already hurt your child.
The Kitchen
One of the biggest dangers in the kitchen is the stove. There are now many devices to make the stove safe, including locks for the knobs and adjustable covers or guards to keep your baby away from things cooking on the stovetop. You should also secure your other kitchen appliances. Even the dishwasher and refrigerator can be hazards, so place a locking strap on both to keep your kids out.
Instead of relying on latches and locks to keep your infant safe from poisons and other hazards in your cabinets, consider moving them to cabinets that are higher up and out of reach.
Kitchen cabinets are often harder to secure than you would think, and they contain many things that could be hazardous to a young child. There are many safety products to help childproof your cabinets. You can choose either a system that latches on to the outside of cabinet handles, which is simpler to install but easy to forget to put back on, or one that installs inside the cabinet as a latch. Or use a combination of the two, especially on the cabinets that contain cleaners, poisons, or breakables.
The Bathroom
As in the kitchen, you should secure the drawers and cabinets in your bathroom. Also consider installing toilet lid locks to prevent drowning, and keep hot appliances such as curling irons out of your infant's reach. A nonslip mat and a faucet cushion can help make the bathtub safe, too.
The Fireplace
While a warm fire is nice on a cold night, fireplaces are hard to keep childproofed. Among the dangers are the sharp edges around the hearth and the risk of getting burned when you have a fire going.
The easiest way to childproof a fireplace is to simply place a heatresistant safety gate around the whole thing. That way you don't have to worry about your kids getting into the fireplace and playing with ashes, falling on the sharp corners of the hearth, or getting close to the flames. If your fireplace is fueled by natural gas, be sure to secure your gas key, place a cover on your gas valve cover, and install a carbon monoxide detector.
The Garage
Many people don't consider the garage as being really part of the house and so don't take steps to keep it childproofed. With all of the dangers that a garage may hold, including gardening products, insecticides, lawn equipment, and power tools, it is especially important to keep it safe in case your child manages to get inside by himself. In addition to securing these dangerous items, you should keep your car locked and your keys out of reach so your kids can't accidentally lock themselves inside.
No matter how safe your house is, it is going to be hard to keep your kids safe if they can easily get out of the house. To keep them inside the house and out of rooms in your house that aren't childproofed, install childproof doorknob covers.
