5 Checklists for Babyproofing Your House
Guest Post by: Paige Mitchell
Caretakers have the ultimate responsibility of keeping children safe at home. Whether you’re a parent, grandparent, or babysitter, baby- or childproofing your home is an absolute must. Sadly, 2,000 children are injured at home every year. To protect our favorite kiddos, we must take precaution and review our surroundings with the closest attention to detail. To do so, here’s a childproofing checklist for every room in the house.
Bedroom
To prevent crib-related injury and suffocation, here are some do’s and don’ts to remember when babyproofing the bedroom.
- Don’t use a modified or broken crib or one that’s more than 10 years old.
- Don’t use a crib with wide slats or drop-down sides.
- Do use a crib with an adjustable mattress.
- Do remove all pillows, stuffed animals, and other items from the crib that could lead to suffocation.
- Do install window guards to keep mobile children safely inside.
- Do keep corded blinds or baby monitors out of reach from curious children.
Family room
Toddlers use anything and everything in sight for support as they learn to crawl and hold themselves up. Small but mighty, these kids can actually pull furniture on top of themselves. Here’s a quick checklist for securing the living room:
- Mount televisions to the wall instead of using a TV stand.
- Secure shelving, like bookcases, to the wall.
- Keep remote controls away from kids who don’t know better than to bite a loose battery.
- Add soft bumpers to the sharp edges of tables.
- Guard the fireplace with a baby gate.
- Block access to staircases with a safety gate.
- Cover all unused electrical outlets.
Kitchen
From choking hazards to sharp objects, the kitchen is perhaps the most dangerous room of the house. Caretakers should try their very best to keep kids out when an adult isn’t present, and lock the following to keep kids safe in the kitchen:
- Lock cabinets containing heavy dishes, pots, and pans.
- Lock drawers containing sharp objects, like knives.
- Keep countertop appliances out of reach from toddlers on their tippy toes.
- Latch the refrigerator, which holds some yummy but mostly dangerous foods for infants.
- Lock the oven and remove the knobs, if you can, when the stove isn’t in use.
Bathroom
Kids in training might take the initiative to try going potty on their own. Soon, an open toilet is a kiddie pool and your bathroom is soaked. Here’s how to babyproof the bathroom:
- Lay anti-slip bath mats down, especially on hard tile.
- Line the inside of the tub with a gripped liner to minimize the chances of slipping and falling to or from the tub.
- Place a rubber guard over the faucet.
- Keep all soaps and cleaning supplies out of reach.
- Hire a plumber to install a temperature-controlling device to faucets. Note: if your hot water heater is malfunctioning, call your home warranty company to get it repaired right away.
Yard
The yard is practically the wilderness to a child. Plants, bugs, and critters are interesting but can be threatening in some form or fashion. Here are some final do’s and don’ts to babyproof the backyard:
- Don’t use toxic plants in your garden.
- Don’t spray your lawn with harsh pesticides or fertilizers.
- Do consider installing a fence.
- Do invest in a secure pool cover.
Do teach children not to approach animals without help from an adult.
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