How To Baby Proof Your Home – Free Guide to Child Safety from A to Z

Your Home Safety Checklist

• Baby Proof Kitchen
• Baby Proof Living Areas
• Safe Baby Nursery
• Baby Proof Bathrooms
• Baby Proof Bedrooms
• Baby Proof Stairway
• Baby Proof Windows
• Safe Swimming Pool Area
• Baby Proof Fireplace
• Learning CPR
• Proper Car Seat Installation

Baby proofing your home can be overwhelming to a new parent.  Most don’t know where to start, others are afraid  to even think of the task. Sometimes the thought of safety hazards are too much for a new parent. Also, some don’t realize they need to do anything until their little one starts to crawl, which I call the “seek and destroy” stage. No matter what, as parents, we all are faced with the reality that we have to baby proof our homes. You can’t turn your head for a second without your new adventurer exploring a bundle of wires, or getting into chemical products underneath the sink; we all face these child dangers on a daily basis.  To our good fortune, we now have many resources to get solid information.

There are baby proofing services like mine that will come to your home and walk you through all the areas that need attention, and offer solutions that will help you to keep your child safe (my favorite). Knowledge is power, and in this case the more you know about child safety, the safer your child is.

Free Guide to Baby Proofing Your Home

I’m going to walk you through the steps of baby proofing as if I were going through your home. Keep in mind that every home is unique and has its own set of safety situations so, the steps below will be a good introduction to in home child safety.

After twenty years of baby proofing, I’ve seen almost everything. I do have to stress the “almost” though, because on a weekly basis I still come across installation variables that stump me. For this reason I highly recommend that the installation of child safety products be left to the professionals. It takes me at least a year to train someone to baby proof a home, and even after that I’m still out in the field handling portions of the installations because lets face it, home’s are not designed with child safety and baby proofing in mind and there is NO margin for error! So with that being said, let’s take a walk through your home, I like to start in the:

Baby proof your home kitchen

How to childproof your kitchen using Kitchen Safety techniques

The kitchen is one of the most dangerous areas for children in your home for obvious, and sometimes not so obvious, reasons. The basics to child proofing your kitchen are:

1. Latch ALL cabinets from the counter top down. The contents are a hazard just as much as the cabinet itself. When a child can get full speed with a heavy drawer on ball bearing tracks this changes a boo-boo into an injury. Also the cabinet door or drawer has sharp corners that when opened put that corner at your child’s head and eye level. I use magnetic latches underneath the sink whenever the chemicals are unable to be stored up high. I’m always asked if leaving one cabinet for a child to play in is a good idea. The answer is, no. There will be a time when your child is ready to play in a cabinet but it should be supervised. Nothing good really comes from a child exploring in a cabinet, cabinets are used to store many hazardous things like razors, knives, chemicals and so on, so allowing a child to go into them isn’t the best practice.
2. Latch your oven. This isn’t for when your cooking, it’s to prevent a child from opening the door and standing on it, causing the oven to tip forward just like a file cabinet, you will notice a warning on your oven door cautioning you about this. A latch is need to also prevent a child from pinching his fingers. As a rule, treat the oven as if it were hot at all times. Teach “HOT!”, this works better than no. Don’t pull any punches with this! Set the rules early on, and don’t let your child play with pots and pans as they view them as a toy and will statistically pull them off the stove more than a child that was not allowed to play with them.
3. Beware of bar stools. Know that your child can and will pull down bar stools and when they do they fall back onto your tile or other hard surface so be aware of this and gauge what you do upon how your child is.
4. Secure your water cooler.
5. Use non-toxic cleaners on your kitchen floor. In the crawling stage be aware that the chemicals in the cleaner you use on your floors can be re-activated by a wet hand that will soon go into your baby’s mouth so it’s best to use vinegar and water or some other non toxic cleaner during this stage.
6. Knife danger. Don’t store your knives on the counter!
7. Get a trash can with a secure lid the baby can’t figure out. Hazardous, yes potentially, gross for sure! And if you don’t have a lid the baby can’t figure out and your watch, necklace, wallet etc. are missing, check the trash
8. Child dangers while cooking. When your cooking increase supervision, use the back burners and turn your pot handles towards the rear.
9. Cover all outlets (this will be repeated in every room)

These are the basics to child proofing your kitchen.  Remember that every kitchen / home is different and needs to be inspected by a trained eye for optimal kitchen safety.

Baby proof your home living areas

How to childproof your family room

REMOVE COFFEE TABLE!!! The most important element to baby proofing your family room is removing your coffee table. Please my blog post on how dangerous coffee tables are for your child. You can NOT make a coffee table safe and it is one of the more dangerous things in any home. Every week for twenty years I’ve heard five to ten horror stories, enough said.

1. Cover all outlets
2. Prevent access to your fireplace with a child safety gate.
3. Remove table lamps or heavy items on side tables that your child can pull down.
4. Remove candy dishes or other choking hazards.
5. Identify your plants and make sure none are poisonous and be aware that even an artificial plant is a choking hazard so best practice is to remove all plants.
6. Make sure all wires are inaccessible by tying or tucking away.
7. Secure all furniture that is taller than it is wide, and secure all Televisions.
8. Latch cabinets.

These are some of the basics of baby proofing a family room that I’ve looked for over the last twenty years. Try to create a safe-zone in this area by partitioning it off with gates. The family room and kitchen are the two most used rooms in your home, so focusing on them is key.

How to child proof your living room

Use the same checklist as the family room. This room I usually recommend to become the adult portion of your home. It will often tend to become very decorative because you usually move all of your nice things from the family room into the living room. This is all you get! A child will take over 2/3 of any size home, so cherish and enjoy this room as your own!

Baby proof your home baby nursery

How to create a safe nursery for your baby

1. Cover all outlets with sliding safety covers
2. Make sure your glider and ottoman lock. If they don’t locks can be added (by professional). It is very important that these are locked once your child becomes mobile. There are many moving parts on gliders and ottomans that your little ones can injure their fingers on. At some point, usually after night feedings stop (yes, believe it or not they WILL stop! , you will no longer need your gliding ottoman. When you notice that you’re not using it anymore, storing it is your best option. If  you haven’t purchased a gliding ottoman yet, don’t, use the stool option instead. Its much safer and more cost effective for the short period of time you need it.
3. Secure all furniture and latch all cabinets and drawers, even if there is only clothes in them, this will save little hands and fingers.
4. Lock sliding closet doors.
5. Use a finger guard in any door your baby is around when it is open, use only the type that go in the jamb to prevent injury in the door as well as the door jamb.
6. Be sure to remove your trash can and also realize that your child will attack your diaper genie and humidifier.
7. Remember to go through the items in your changing table. Often times I see clients that have all the items still out from when their baby was just born. Ointments, cremes, rubbing alcohol, Q-tips etc, are left out, and a lot of parents forget to remove these items once their baby starts to crawl.
8. If you have a camera mounted by (or like I see way too much on the crib itself), make sure to route the wire away from the baby and encase the wire in electrical channel so it cannot be chewed on or wrapped around your child.
9. As with ALL areas of your home, make sure your blind cords are secured to prevent strangulation. If  you have roman shades make sure you send away for a retrofit kit as they have all been recalled.
10. Make sure nothing is hanging over the crib, even items on bookshelves should be soft items only (in earthquake country). Crib should not be placed under a window. Mobile should be removed when your baby can reach it. It is recommended that a bumper is not used. Crib toys should be mounted on wall side. Is your crib up to date with no recalls? Check. Handed down cribs are a bad idea.
11. Toy chest’s should be latched. A toy chest is really not appropriate until a child is over three years old. They should always have air holes drilled, and the lid should be designed to prevent slamming onto little fingers.
12. If you use a night lite make sure its not a fun one. Butterflies and baseballs will attract your child. If you have to use one, just purchase a basic night lite.

These are just some of the many things you need to do and to take precaution in making sure your child’s nursery is safe. Of course other items such as toys and furniture could also create hazards, so you want to make sure to take a good look at what you bring into your child’s environment.

How to baby proof your home bathrooms

Childproofing your bathroom is vital

Bathrooms are high on the list of hazardous areas in your home, so you will want to pay special attention to these rooms.

1. Lock your toilets
2. Lock your shower door
3. Lock your cabinets
4. Remove your medicines and place in a child proof box, or tool box with a lock on it placed out of reach of children. This stage lasts far beyond the infant toddler stage so you want to prepare early.
5. Turn your water heater down to 120 degrees
6. Install a spout cover on the tub spout to prevent bonking of the noggin.
7. Make sure you have slip proof mats.
8. Remove chemicals from lower cabinets even if you have safety latches on them.
9. Lock your medicine cabinet.
10. NEVER leave a child unattended in the tub (duh we know this).
11. Install a safety lock on the door that can be locked and unlocked from either side of the door. Make sure you know how to unlock the existing lock on the handle in case your child decides to lock the door, which is very common and dangerous. I’ve heard countless stories of the fireman visits needed when this happens. I even had to try to unlock a door or two during an install when a 2 or 3 year old has done this. TIP: I like to install a screw in where the door latches into the jamb,  leaving the head of the screw out just enough to be able to close the door, but allowing a shoulder bump to be able to open it when it is locked.
12. Make sure you have anti slip mats in the tub as well. Before long your child will be out of the plastic tub, the blowup duck and the ring and free to move about the tub. If you have glass shower doors be ready to remove them and switch back to a curtain. It is very difficult to wash a child’s hair when they are in the corner where the door is laughing at you..trust me.

How to baby proof your home bedrooms

Childproof your bedrooms from potential dangers

Make sure and follow these seven basic steps to making your bedroom safe for young children.

1. Cover all outlets with slide plates
2. Remove choking hazards, this is tough in the older kids rooms when they have the lego’s and polly pockets. Sometimes its best to make these rooms off limits until your baby is done with the “eat everything I see and touch stage”.
3. Lock wardrobe doors
4. Bundle and encase wires.
5. Tie up blind cords and retrofit Roman Shades as they have all been recalled.
6. Make sure all upstairs windows have locks. If you have low windows and plan to open them you need window guards. I will cover more about this when I discuss window safety.
7. Secure all tall furniture or any furniture light enough to be pulled over by the baby.

How to baby proof your home stairs

How to childproof stairs using Stairway Safety

1. Use hardware mounted safety gates. NEVER use pressure mounted gates on a stairway. Babies are very strong and not to be under estimated. They can push through the pressure gate and fall down the stairs with the gate. Always use a safety gate with the JPMA seal.
2. Never use safety gates with a doorway that has a bottom rail that people trip over.
3. Use Acrylic to prevent your child from slipping through the slats on your balcony and stairway rails.
4. Use carpet runners if you have wooden stairs. I hear about parents and children slipping on wooden stairs on a weekly basis.
5. Installing gates is not an easy task. Don’t feel defeated if you are having trouble with trying to install them yourself. I still scratch my head at certain installations because stairs are not designed for baby gates!
6. Your stairway gates should be professionally installed.

How to baby proof your home windows

Childproof using Window Safety techniques

Kids have been seriously hurt, or worse, from parents not using the proper precautions with their windows. Accidents in this circumstance, are unforgiving. Please read below to get a better picture on how to prevent what many parents unfortunately overlook.

July 6, 2010
Release #10-294 CPSC Media Contact: (301) 504-7908 CPSC Urges Parents and Caregivers to Consider Safety Before Opening WindowsWASHINGTON, D.C. – Opening windows in your home to enjoy the warmer temperatures may seem harmless, but windows have proven to be sources of injury and death for young children. In recent weeks, several children have fallen from windows and U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) data indicates that on average, about eight deaths occur yearly to children five years or younger while an estimated 3,300 children five and younger are treated each year in U.S. hospital emergency departments. Hospitalization was required for about 34 percent of these children after falling from a window.These deaths and injuries frequently occur when kids push themselves against window screens or climb onto furniture located next to an open window.”The deaths and life-altering injuries we have seen here at CPSC are heart-breaking and in many cases preventable,” said CPSC Chairman Inez Tenenbaum. “We want parents and caregivers to think safety before opening the windows where young children are present.”"Window falls increase dramatically during the spring and summer months but they can be prevented,” said Chrissy Cianflone, Director of Programs for Safe Kids USA. “It takes active supervision on the part of the parent or caregiver, and a device called a window guard. Screens are meant to keep bugs out, not kids in. Window guards are easy to install and have a release mechanism in the event of an emergency.”"The window fall season is upon us. The harmless act of opening a window to enjoy the beautiful weather can lead to tragedy unless parents and caregivers of young children exercise proper safety precautions,” said Mindy A. Bockstein, Chairperson and Executive Director of the New York State Consumer Protection Board. “Let’s not be lulled into a false sense of security by window screens but properly install window guards and follow other safety measures.”To help prevent injuries and tragedies, CPSC recommends the following safety tips:

1. Safeguard your children by using window guards or window stops.
2. Install window guards to prevent children from falling out of windows. (For windows on the 6th floor and below, install window guards that adults and older children can open easily in case of fire.)
3. Install window stops so that windows open no more than 4 inches.
4. Never depend on screens to keep children from falling out of windows.
5. Whenever possible, open windows from the top — not the bottom.
6. Keep furniture away from windows, to discourage children from climbing near windows.
7. Some jurisdictions require landlords to install guards. Check your local regulations.

—
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission is charged with protecting the public from unreasonable risks of serious injury or death from thousands of types of consumer products under the agency’s jurisdiction. The CPSC is committed to protecting consumers and families from products that pose a fire, electrical, chemical, or mechanical hazard. The CPSC’s work to ensure the safety of consumer products – such as toys, cribs, power tools, cigarette lighters, and household chemicals – contributed significantly to the decline in the rate of deaths and injuries associated with consumer products over the past 30 years.
To report a dangerous product or a product-related injury, call CPSC’s Hotline at (800) 638-2772 or CPSC’s teletypewriter at (301) 595-7054. To join a CPSC e-mail subscription list, please go to https://www.cpsc.gov/cpsclist.aspx to obtain recall and general safety information.

If you plan to open your upstairs windows, window guards must be installed. If you only need them to open for ventilation, simple window locks will suffice for this. As you can see from the above post from CPSC it’s a HUGE problem!

How to baby proof your home swimming pool

How to childproof your swimming pool area

Pools should be fenced with a child safety fence. Fence Height should be at least four feet tall. If you have a wrought iron fence the height should be at least five feet, because it is a climbable surface. A child safety barrier is key. If you have just a cover or net, the protection just isn’t there during party situation when most accidents occur.  With a cover, when the little ones are done swimming, its often left open for others to swim or just because it’s too difficult to put it back on in the case of manual covers or net systems. A mesh child climb resistant safety barrier is in no question the safest solution for your child. Know that even if your child is right next to you and lunges into the pool in most cases you don’t have enough time to dive in and save your child without serious consequences.  FENCE YOUR POOL!  Other layers of protection would be door locks, window locks to all areas that access your pool from your home. Door alarms can also be helpful. Pool alarms are also available. I am an authorized dealer for pool fencing and I’ll come to your home for installation.

How to baby proof your home fireplace

Simple fire safety precautions could save your family from disaster

1. Have a fire escape plan.
2. Purchase fire extinguishers and have them in the garage, kitchen and laundry room. Also place one in your closet.
3. Buy a fire escape ladder and have one on each end of your upstairs.
4. Install smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors

Essentials to keeping your children safe

It is essential for everyone to learn CPR

Learn child CPR and infant CPR techniques. Take a class at a local hospital or have a teacher come to your home. Make sure to have quick reference material available in your home and vehicle. In the event that you ever had to apply what you learned, you may forget in an emergency so the quick reference guide is very important. Make sure all of your child’s caretakers know CPR and have access to the quick reference guides.

How to install a car seat properly

If you have read my blog, you know that I have recently become a certified safety seat technician. I completed a five day intensive course to learn how to install car seats properly. Just like in a home, there are so many variables between types of seats and cars that it makes it very difficult to install them properly. I recommend that you have your seats checked at a local check up for proper installation. I will give you some guidelines to help you remember key points of importance.

1. Read your manual for both your car seat and your vehicle! Make sure you know where you vehicle manual allows you to use the L.A.T.C.H system.
2. Keep your child rear facing for as long as possible. At least up to two years of age but go longer if you can.
3. Install your baby’s car seat in the center position of the rear seat. This gives your child the best possible protection in the event of a crash.
4. Make sure the harness straps are at or below the shoulders rear facing, and at or above the shoulders forward facing.
5. Make sure the harness straps are tight enough that you can’t pinch any material of the webbing.
6. Make sure the chest/retainer clip is at armpit level.
7. Make sure your child has not outgrown his or her seat. Read the labels, read the manual’s. Make sure his head has at least 1″ clearance from the top of the seat.

Please get your car seats inspected by a certified technician. The research done by SafeKids and SeatBeltSafeUSA says 90 percent of all seats are installed incorrectly! At the last check up I attended not one car that came in had a seat properly installed!

These are the basic steps to childproofing your home

I hope the above information helps your process when you go to baby proof your home. I hope your awareness level has been raised about child safety. When we buy a home, we have a professional inspect it. Our food is inspected before we can purchase it. Our vehicles go through test’s and inspections before we can drive them. Your baby’s home should be no different. Have a childproofing service inspect your home with a trained eye and make sure your car seat will actually keep your baby safe. It will be money well spent, what you will learn will be priceless. This is my business and my passion after 20 dedicated years.

-Mr. Baby Proofer