Your Ultimate Childproofing Checklist: 5 Easy Tips For Childproofing Your Home
Did your sweet baby just take their first steps?
Amazing, isn’t it?
As they do so, the light in their eyes shines. They are awakened with a newfound skill and curiosity.
You finally have a “walker,” and you’re equal parts excited and terrified. But you can’t help feeling anxious about their safety.
You already know having children comes with many responsibilities. Your child’s safety is one of the most important.
Nevertheless, unexpected accidents happen!
They happen to every parent at some point. However, there are many ways to prevent them. Especially for small children from newborn to 4 years old.
During this time, a child is going through a learning process in which they are exploring the world. Sometimes explorations and curiosity result in injuries. It’s just part of the process.
As a parent, it’s your responsibility to monitor your children closely. It’s also your responsibility to limit opportunities for injuries.
That’s where childproofing comes into play.
Childproofing decreases preventable accidents, gives parents peace of mind and also gives your child more freedom to explore.
As much as we’d like to have an eye on our children all the time, sometimes it’s impossible.
As a new parent, are you feeling overwhelmed with childproofing?
Don’t worry, I’ve provided easy steps to help you make a childproofing checklist.
Step 1: Identify Danger Areas of Your Home
Children can experience injuries in many ways and in many different places. But, the most common place is the home. A recent survey revealed that 59% of children injured themselves at home in 2023.
This statistic is surprising, but when you think about it, there are many ways for a child to get injured at home.
First, it’s important to narrow down the high-risk areas of your house.
Areas of your house to childproof:
- Bathrooms
- Kitchen
- Nursery/Child’s Bedroom
- Main Living Area
- Pool
- Basement
- Garage
- Stairs/Ramps/Landings
Wait, isn’t this my entire house?
Well….
Basically.
It may surprise you where a small child can end up. Parents find their children in the most unlikely places.
All because of one thing: curiosity.
It’s tough to know exactly what is going on in your child’s brain. Some children are more adventurous. Some are cautious. But both types of children can find themselves in physical trouble in a matter of seconds.
Making a quick list of high-risk locations in your home is an easy place to start.
Step 2: Remove All Drowning Risks
Throughout your house, there are many drowning risks and some may have not crossed your mind.
I promise you’re not the only one!
Areas with a high risk for drowning:
- Bathroom
- Kitchen
- Cleaning closet
- Pool/Hot tub
Bathroom
Water is very present in the bathroom, but the biggest drowning risk is not the tub or sink.
It’s the toilet.
The toilet is low to the ground and always filled with water. There is a constant risk for your toddler to accidentally fall in headfirst. For a child aged 1 to 4, their head is heavier than the rest of their body. If they fall in, it will be difficult for them to get out on their own.
Consequently, to make sure your bathroom is completely safe, there are several products to keep in mind.
Toilet Locks
Toilet locks are installed on top of the toilet seat to ensure your child cannot open it. You can usually buy toilet locks as adhesives, no drilling required.
Here are a few toilet lock choices:
Door Knob Covers
One easy way to prevent your child from entering the bathroom is to shut the door and buy a door knob cover. Additionally, door knob covers are useful everywhere and should be added to your childproofing checklist.
Door Knob cover options:
Kitchen and Utility
In the kitchen and other utility areas, there may be buckets or bowls of water in various locations.
Some examples:
- Mop bucket
- Dog bowl
- Water pitchers
- Sinks filled with water
In fact, all of these are places where actual drowning accidents have occurred.
Here are a few practical ways to childproof the kitchen and utility areas:
- Never leave a bucket or container of water unattended
- Put up gates leading to the kitchen or utility room
- Use a baby enclosure system
Putting up gates and baby enclosures will decrease drowning and other risks substantially. They are easy to install and move as needed.
Baby gates and options:
Outdoor Bodies of Water
Any outdoor bodies of water are a risk. Pools and hot tubs that are not properly covered are easy for small children to fall into. Canals, streams, ponds and lakes near a house can also be hazards.
When it comes to bodies of water, it’s important to use layers of protection.
Let’s say you have a pool in the backyard.
Protection Layer 1: Childproof the door(s) that leads outside. Use a self-locking door, door knob cover, or other device to help.
Protection Layer 2: Install a perimeter fence, pool cover, or self-latching pool gate.
Protection Layer 3: You.
If your child is around water, keep a close eye on them.
Product options for childproofing water areas:
- Self-locking door with code
- Door alarm
- Self-latching pool gates
- Pool and hot tub covers that latch
- Perimeter fences
You can never be too careful when it comes to drowning risks. As sad as it is, many fatal drownings take less than 20 seconds.
Therefore, preventative measures are a must!
Step 3: Limit Falls That Lead to Injury
Yes, you guessed it– falling is another potential risk your small child faces.
Children can be far more resilient than we expect, but this doesn’t mean they can’t get hurt from a fall.
Get this…
Stairs, ramps, and landings accounted for 309,321 emergency room visits in 2022. This statistic only applies to children!
Sometimes small children are unaware of their surroundings – sharp furniture edges or a loose rug can result in a fall or other injury.
And these aren’t the only places your child could fall. Many children learn to climb on furniture or other areas that are high off the ground.
Make sure to close off or limit entrance to these areas.
Here are a few products to prevent falls:
- Safety gates (versatile for many areas)
- Furniture mounts
- TV mounts for the wall as opposed to resting them on consoles
- Use non-slip pads for area rugs
- Corner guards for sharp furniture edges
Step 4: Avoid Electrocution and Dangerous Substances
Electrocution
Think about it– cabinets, drawers, electric sockets, etc… are all within your child’s reach.
Children are naturally curious and want to explore things they haven’t seen before. The holes in a light socket seem fascinating to them.
Before you know it, they may be trying to conduct unknowingly dangerous experiments.
Electrocution can be a high risk in your home. In the United States, 20% of all reported electrical injuries happen to children. All it takes is a finger or other object in a light socket to result in a potentially serious injury.
Accordingly, a simple solution is installing outlet covers. For most, you can install them in just a few minutes.
Outlet cover options:
Dangerous Substances
Small children can also ingest substances thinking they are a drink or food. Colorful chemicals can look like juice and medicine can resemble candy.
After all, they don’t know the difference.
What to do with any dangerous substance:
- Place in a locked cabinet
- Organize on a higher shelf
- Keep in a locked room
Cabinet Locks
Cabinet locks come in several forms, sometimes they need drilling, other times not.
Here are a few choices:
Step 5: Avoid Choking and Strangulation Hazards
Small children can be impulsive, putting random items in their mouths on a whim. That’s why choking is one of the leading causes of death in children. In fact, one child dies every five days from a choking accident.
Common household items can pose choking and strangulation risks for your small child. Some are obvious, while others aren’t.
A few items to keep away from your child:
- Medicine
- Liquor
- Cutlery
- Purses with loose items
- Keys
- Phone charger
- Earphones
- Gum
- Cords for curtains or blinds
Toddlers and babies are nosy. They will search your purse, attempt to figure out how blinds work. Most importantly, they will explore items with their mouth.
It’s important to remember that finding simple solutions is best.
Here’s what to do:
- Put hazards on a higher shelf
- Place hazards in a locked cabinet
- Install blind cord winders
- Better yet, install cordless blinds
- Install drawer and cabinet locks
Installing Childproofing Products
For all products in this childproofing checklist, make sure to do the following:
- Follow all directions to install all products correctly
- Test them out yourself
- Make time for continual safety checks
You are the final layer of protection for your child, always. I promise you are doing amazing work!
Trust The Process
I know the early years of your child’s life can be daunting. Sometimes it’s hard to adapt to new childhood stages, such as your child becoming mobile.
Oh, those first steps can be so exciting and precious, but also scary.
Small, preventative measures will make a big difference and using the steps of the childproofing checklist will help you.
If you’re still feeling overwhelmed, we are always here to offer our support. Your parenting journey is so important to us!
Also check out: Bringing Your Baby Home – Steps to Success
