Having children can be non-stop worry. We have to worry about our children being harmed everyday. Their home should be a safe place of comfort and control. It also be that for you as the parent. When we properly childproof our home it makes it easier to live day by day with less worry. Childproofing does however take some work and it is never ending. One thing may be safe for an infant that doesn’t walk but as soon as they do it may need re-evaluating. I firmly believe it is better to childproof as much as possible as soon as the baby comes even if they cannot crawl yet. When they do you won’t miss a beat. *affiliate links below*
Here are some top suggestions for childproofing room to room.
Living Room
The living room should be a safe space for children to play but there are several things that can be harmful if not prepared properly for little children running around.
- Place all breakables out of reach. If you do not want it harmed then it should not be anywhere a child can reach it, play with it, and possibly break it. This includes pictures, knick knacks, candles, other decor items, etc.
- Mount TVs and other large furniture. Mounting strips for your tv to either the wall or the tv stand is perfect. This helps protect your child from the tv tipping over on them. If you have large furniture, like an armoire or bookcase, do the same.
- Cover all outlets. Simple and cheap, these outlet covers should go in every outlet unused. Outlets used should be covered and hidden so children cannot pull out plugs. Any power strips should be covered and out of sight.
- Buy and get out age appropriate toys. If you’re child is young and puts everything in his or her mouth then they should not play with legos, beads, small bouncy balls, etc. Make sure all toys are large and not a choking hazard.
Bedroom
Every bedroom in the house should be childproof. If a particular room is not, the door should be locked in order to keep children out. For the child’s bedroom specifically there are several things that should be done.
- Outlets covered (this is true for every outlet in the home)
- Crib set up correctly. I plan to write specifically about crib safety but this includes having the mattress set at an appropriate height for your child, preventing them climbing out and falling is very important.
- Mount any tall furniture. There are so many horror stories of children, babies, toddlers trying to climb dressers and having them tip over on them. Mounting furniture to the wall can prevent such a destructive injury to a small child.
Personally, I keep everything out of our children’s room that is not a bed, blankets, and maybe some stuffed animals. There is no furniture besides their mattresses. We have one camera baby monitor mounted to the wall with an outlet cover over where it is plugged in. I feel this also helps deter playing when they should be sleeping.
Kitchen
The kitchen is the most important to childproof because there are so many harmful appliances and cutlery.
- Gate the kitchen if you can. Not all kitchens have small passage or doorways that are capable of being gated.
- Lock all cabinets. Generally it is recommend that low cabinets are locked. I recommend all cabinets. It doesn’t take long for a child to learn how to climb counters. I use these locks, they are simple to open when you need.
- Lock dishwasher.
- Lock refridgerator.
- Unplug small appliances when left unused.
- Place all sharp utensils and cutlery where it is unreachable. We put everything in a box and on a top shelf in the pantry. We lock the pantry door.
Bathroom
The bathroom is can be harmful considering it is so easy for a child to turn hot water on and burn themselves. Currently, considering I do not have potty trained children, yet, we keep our bathrooms locked. Soon we will have to unlock them and further childproof the bathrooms for the kids safety.
- Lock all cabinets
- Lock toilet seat, if you choose. I’ve seen recommendations for this because children can drown in the toilet. I’m sure this is true but I worry more about plumbing issues with toys being thrown in the toilet. Kids are legendary for flushing all kinds of things down the toilet.
- Put all hair dryers, curling irons, straighteners and razors away.
- Put all toiletries out of reach.
These are all suggestions for childproofing your home. I suggest however, you be vigilant as your child grows. There is no end to childproofing.
Sarah
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