The ultimate baby proofing checklist
When your baby transitions from stationary to crawling, then suddenly they’re walking and climbing, it is one of the most exciting and scary milestones to witness. You love watching their amazing development with positivity, but it can get pretty dangerous when you spot them trying to get into cupboards and pulling heavy objects off the shelves. The good news is there are a few things you could do to help reduce the chances of your baby getting hurt. Below is a baby proofing checklist for when your baby starts toddling.
How to start babyproofing
First things first. You need to create a ‘Baby proofing the house checklist’ which involves you going around each room and jotting down the potential hazards. What constitutes a hazard depends on your baby’s age. For example, free blankets in the crib can be considered a hazard and should be replaced with sleepsacks or cellular blankets. We’ll discuss further what to include in your baby proofing checklist for newborns below.
Set a date when you will start your baby proofing house checklist and get working on fixing all the hazards in the house. Let’s go over some of the most important items in the house that require baby proofing.
Babyproofing for a newborn
Where will the baby sleep? Will you have a changing table in the same room? When considering how to baby proof your home for your newborn, think about potential items that could suffocate or fall onto the baby. As long as you have the nursery prepared before your baby arrives, you can continue to babyproof your house as your baby becomes more agile. Right now, they’re not crawling or rolling, so your biggest hazard is suffocation and to secure furniture down.
Babyproofing for your soon-to-be crawling baby
Your baby has started moving around now, which means they can pick things up and put them in their mouth. So at this stage you want to move small chokeable objects away and anything which is on the floor that can potentially be accessed like electrical outlets and plugged in wires. Sockets become dangerous now baby wants to stick his/her fingers in the holes and hanging tablecloths can give baby a chance to pull things down.
Fortunately, there are a ton of tough and affordable plastic outlet covers that may be firmly inserted into the apertures of vacant sockets. Amazon stock quite a few here*
As your baby tries to pull themselves to stand, anything hanging over the edge or unsecure furniture now carries a risk of toppling over. Cupboards which contain dangerous items now need to move one stage higher and out of sight from curious minds.
Babyproofing for your soon-to-be walking baby
Babyproofing the house gets a bit more difficult when your baby starts walking, so you now need to add hazards in your baby proof checklist, which are higher, like now reachable cupboards.
Move dangerous items now completely out of the way and clear space on the floor that could potentially be used as an obstacle course for your busy toddler. This is now when you really need to hone in on your checklist because your baby will find the most dangerous parts of the house you haven’t even considered yet.
Babyproofing around the house
When baby proofing around the home think about all the places that can be easily accessible but dangerous like cleaning products, electrical outlets and sharp edges.
Install a carbon monoxide detector so the whole family can be safe. Carbon monoxide detectors detect carbon monoxide levels, which is a silent killer. We have installed ours by the water heater, next to the immersion switch, so everything is in one place. Make sure all fire alarms work too when baby proofing around the house, so you’re out in a shot when there’s a hint of smoke/fire.
We’ll go through more specific areas around the house below which needs baby proofing.
Secure your doors and windows
As your baby grows, so will their curiosity about the outside world. And one way to escape is through doors and windows. Ensure you have doors and windows closed so your baby can’t toddle to an unsafe part of the house or even escape out of the window. Windows come with safety locks, so you can still keep them ajar, but the gap is too small for the baby to crawl out. Install window guards too.
Consider sliding interior barn doors so doors aren’t swinging out and potentially hitting baby, and they can stay shut, so your toddler doesn’t escape.
Babyproofing the bathroom
When baby proofing the bathroom, use the bathroom babyproofing checklist below as it covers all the places to look for.
Remember, all bathrooms are different, so when considering how to baby proof the bathroom, check for your own hazards which may seem dangerous to baby.
Drain the bathtub immediately after use
Leaving standing water, such as an undrained bathtub, after babies are mobile is not recommended. To avoid unintentional drowning, empty the tub right away after use and monitor your toddler while they’re taking a bath. Toddlers who are crawling may also climb into a bathtub. Use friction mats to avoid slipping and bumping heads when trying to get out of the bath.
Childproof the toilet seats
Toilets are another example of sitting water, like bathtubs, making them potentially dangerous for curious young children. The best way to avoid accidental drowning, broken fingers, and other unhygienic exposure is to invest in a toilet seat lock. Keep bathroom products and the toilet brush out of the way too because baby will try to put them all in their mouth.
Move prescriptions out of reach
Kids will go exploring once they can toddle and open cabinets. Make sure hazardous bathroom supplies are stored in a secure location that is out of the way of young children. Medication, mouthwash, scissors, nail clippers, razor blades, and nail polish removers should all be kept locked away.
Babyproofing the kitchen
A baby proof kitchen involves many, many items on your checklist. When you are baby proofing the kitchen, think about where your baby might touch. For example, have you considered knob covers on the oven knobs to stop your baby from switching on the oven? It’s not something people consider, but it could be a potentially dangerous situation if your baby gets exploring.
Baby proofing kitchen cleaning supplies
Hazardous chemicals and objects, like toilet cleaners, bleach and knives, are something you definitely don’t want your baby getting their hands on. Not only can these cause severe damage, but they can lead to death. So, in your kitchen babyproofing checklist, make sure you keep all these dangerous objects away from them.
There are a few ways you can do this. You can either place dangerous objects in a case or cupboard that has child safety door locks in place, or you can store them in rooms that your baby doesn’t have access to. Finally, install childproof cabinet locks and drawers as well, that contain hazardous objects for extra security. Do not forget to lock up chemicals like bleach, washing detergent, rubbing alcohol, spot remover, and other similar substances.
Move hot liquids to the centre of the table
Children as young as toddlers like being independent, which includes switching from a bottle to a cup. Place children’s cups in the middle of the table and when offering them warm liquids in cups, such as soup, hot chocolate, and tea, to help avoid inadvertent spills and burns. Also, any adult beverages must be moved well out of the way to avoid drinking and burning.
Move breakables
Start going into each room and moving any breakables you spot out of touch – and sight! Your best bet would be to remove them completely or high up. Breakables include glass dishes, crockery, vases and pretty much anything else that can be easily broken. And, don’t forget to move your items of sentimental value. The last thing you want is your baby knocking an object onto the floor and it shattering, causing severe injury.
Babyproofing the living room
To start off, your living room babyproofing checklist should include securing any heavy furniture. This includes objects like bookcases, chairs, and tables, as well as child proofing doors and cupboards too. The last thing you want is for your new walker to grab onto one of these pieces of furniture and end up getting caught underneath it – or worse, the furniture falling onto your baby and squashing them!
When baby proofing the living areas, bigger items, like the bookcase, should be secured to a wall using a bracket or two*. For the chairs and tables, you can place grips on the bottom, like gripping pads*, that will prevent them from tipping and sliding. Place door stoppers on doors too, to ensure your baby doesn’t trap their fingers when they open and shut the doors.
Cover sharp furniture edges
Cover sharp edges and corners with padding to help prevent bumps and bruises on a variety of popular household equipment, including tables, TV stands, countertops, and fireplaces. You can also use safety covers to soften edges.
Babyproofing the nursery
When baby proofing the nursery, think about avoiding suffocation in the cot and moving chokeable objects away when the baby is spending time in there. Add to your nursery babyproofing checklist to check that your cot meets safety standards and that it’s certified to British Standard BS EN 716-1. When you are babyproofing the nursery or bedroom, make sure the changing table is in a safe place and never leave your baby on the table unattended.
The biggest things to think about when considering how to baby proof the nursery is strangulation, suffocation and choking, as well as making sure furniture is safe and secure and you should be good to go with the nursery.
Move choking hazards
As a parent, you already know that babies are always putting anything and everything they find in their mouths. As mentioned above, to reduce the risk of this happening, move everything that could potentially be a choking hazard upwards and out of sight. Also, install a baby safety door on cupboards, so that the baby doesn’t accidentally find dangers inside. If you aren’t sure if the object is a hazard, err on the side of caution and move it anyway.
Pick up tiny toys often
Toys for toddlers frequently have little pieces that are simple to lose. It’s crucial to collect these items after playing and while you’re doing your nighttime clean-up since they might be a risk to young children. Be careful to look everywhere, including underneath the sofa and in the cracks between the couch’s cushions.
Babyproofing the laundry room – swap out old fans for tower fans
Circular electric fans are excellent for cooling off a space, but sometimes, the blades aren’t entirely covered, making them accessible to small, inquisitive fingers. Modern, secure, and extremely space-efficient vertical fans are fully covered and are less of a risk. Make sure washing machines and tumble dryers have a child lock and ALWAYS check your baby isn’t inside before you turn them on!
Babyproofing the home office – tie up cords
Tieing up window blind cords is something that people don’t always think of, but it can be a dire situation if your baby gets caught up in these dangly bits of durable string. Baby proofing cords on window blinds ensure your baby won’t get tangled up in them and suffocate. If you can, try to find some blinds that don’t have any cords dangling down at all. And, make sure you install childproof window locks while you’re at it, so baby can’t get out either!
Baby Proofing the Stairs -install baby gates by stairs
It is imperative to childproof stairs, so your baby doesn’t find their way at the top, to only then tumble back down. Baby gates are relatively affordable and very good at helping keep your baby safe. The best place to put them is at the top and bottoms of the stairs, but you could also place baby gates in doorways to areas like the bathroom or the office.
The main reason you want baby gates on the stairs is that a fall can cause serious injuries. Plus, you’ll feel less nervous when your baby has wandered off somewhere, which will happen more often when they hit the toddler years and navigate the stairs – and other rooms – themselves.
Gates are also great for restricting certain areas. Use baby gates to section off the kitchen when cooking to reduce the chances of the baby getting hurt from hazards, like falling knives or splattering hot oil. Bathrooms should be restricted areas too, as this is where you generally house harmful cleaning chemical products.
Put up safety gates near stairs
The challenge of a steep staircase is something that novice crawlers like taking on, especially when they are told no. Safety gates come in some forms and materials, including metal, wood, and plastic, and are simple to install.
Baby proof your car
When you are baby proofing the car, you need to ensure child locks are on and the car seat is fitted correctly. You can check out this Group 1 2 3 car seat guide to help find out which car seat your baby requires.
Check out our Group 1 2 3 car seat guide here
Keep a baby proofing must-haves kit like a first aid kit to hand in case there are any accidents on the road.
Outdoor and backyard baby proofing
During the winter, the night-time will greet us as early as 4 pm some days. Our houses will also be plunged into darkness for longer periods, especially if we don’t have outdoor lighting or a security system in place, which can spot any movement outside the home. Make sure the house is well lit at night to ward off intruders and consider using a camera on your front door to check in on visitors.
Look for other miscellaneous items to baby proof
Almost done! Take a look around the room and spot any other potential hazards which could be harmful to your baby. Consider buying a baby proofing kit, which contains items that can help you baby proof corners, the fireplace if you have one, bits that stick out of your furniture (for example. wicker furniture might have sticks poking out), and other dangerous anomalies you find during your baby proofing journey.
The above baby proofing checklist isn’t difficult to do and taking the time to baby proof your home could mean the difference between life and death. The best thing to do is just place everything hazardous up, locked away and out of reach, and do everything you can to baby proof the house. If you aren’t sure whether a particular item is dangerous, baby proof it in any way, just in case. It’s better to be too safe than too sorry!
Kids get everywhere and babies, especially toddlers, have a profound ability to find the most dangerous part of the house and camp there for a bit. But baby proofing the house is a work in progress, so take your time and spot where potential hazards may be.
There are lots of baby proofing products which will help you with baby proofing around the home, including baby proofing kits to take the stress away from making sure everything is covered. You can check them out on Amazon here*.
You can also hire a baby proofing service if you feel you can’t offer safe proofing your home for baby.
FAQ
What age should you start baby proofing?
“Ideally, get started at least three months before your due date, because some of the recommended baby proofing preparations may take time. Once baby starts to crawl (around 6 to 10 months), you’ll need to do a second baby proofing sweep to make sure the house is safe for a baby on the move.”
https://www.thebump.com/a/checklist-babyproofing-part-1
At what age can you stop baby proofing?
Baby proofing a home should be done properly, so take your time, so your house can be safe for years to come. Generally, your child will understand dangers around the house from the age of three, but this is only a suggested age. Some kids may need longer, so judge it on whether they understand why certain things like ovens are dangerous when turned on.
What are 10 safety tips for baby proofing your home?
Read the tips above for how to babyproof your house.
What do I really need for baby proofing?
A baby proofing list is going to be different for every household, so it’s important to walk around the home and make a list of all the potential hazards that need fixing. The article above will help you with some of the major parts of the house that need babyproofing.
*Collaborative feature post*
*Contains affiliate links*
