Whether you’re just starting out on the road to parenthood, or if you’ve already gotten a few miles in, baby proofing your home is one of the most important steps you can take to ensure your baby’s safety once he or she becomes mobile.

Here are our top 10 areas to concentrate on when baby-proofing, and some tips to help you keep your little one safe.

Stairs

First things first, if you have stairs in your home, install baby safety gates.  A tumble down the stairs can cause serious injury to your little explorer!  You never know when your baby will start crawling, so do yourself a favour and install gates for the top of your stairs while you’re getting the nursery set up. Kidco Safeway gates are great, because they’re designed with quick release hardware that lets you pop out the gate and store it safely, leaving the hardware installed. Then, once baby’s on the move, you can pop the gate into place!

KidCo Gateway gates are perfect for the bottom of the stairs. They don’t need to be installed using any hardware, so you can keep them stashed away and pop them in as soon as you need them.

Flat Screen TVs & Large Dressers

For TVs, dressers, and other large pieces of furniture around the house, be sure to install anti-tipping straps. Every 23 minutes a child is treated at an ER for injuries sustained from tipping TVs and furnitures, so definitely don’t skip this crucial step. We recommend getting these installed before baby’s arrival.

Cribs and Beds

As your little ones become mobile, getting out of their crib becomes an achievement for them – and much stress for you.  Installing a convertible crib rail will prevent them from falling out and getting injured while sound asleep.  And when they awake, they can safely come looking for you.  If your child is ready to transition to a “big” bed, bedrails will keep them protected from falling out of bed, and still allow for their walk down to the hallway to bunk with mom and dad.

Windows

Now is the time to secure the windows in your child’s room.  Both window stops and window guards provide the necessary protection.  Choose what best fits your personal security.

Drawers/Cabinets

All kitchen, bathroom and utility room drawers and cabinets should be secured with locks to prevent your child from accessing dangers of cleaning supplies, utensils, medication, and so much more. KidCo drawer and cabinet locks are available in both screw mount and adhesive mount installations, so you can pick what works best for you, your home, and your family.

Kitchen

Don’t forget to secure your appliances as well.  Little ones begin exploring and their view and excitement do not include safety precautions.   Most injuries involving stoves are from pots of boiling water or hot soups being pulled onto curious little ones, so make sure to install a stove guard.  Always use the back burners as a first choice – this will prevent little hands from getting burned from hot surfaces at the front of the stove. And don’t forget stove knob covers! They prevent little hands from playing with and turning on burners.

Pro Tip:  When you’re cooking, be sure to turn your handles inwards to avoid any accidental spills.

Bathrooms

Toilets pose the danger of drowning, especially for curious (and top-heavy) toddlers. Make sure to use a toilet lock to prevent any mishaps. 

Furniture

Once your baby starts crawling and can pull themselves up – and they fall down just as easy. It’s easy for little ones to get injured on the sharp edges of counter tops and tables, so be sure to use corner protectors. They’re available in a range of colours and sizes to match your furniture, and most can even be mounted on the bottom side of counter edges which provides added protection for little ones.

Doors

When you child becomes mobile, their curiosity to the outside world is forefront.  Installing door locks not only prevents them from making a quick getaway, but it can also keep them out of rooms in the house where they should not be. 

Fireplaces

Beside the obvious danger of getting burned, most fireplace hearths are made of hard surfaces which can cause bumps and bruises to little ones, and worse yet head injuries.  A safety gate installed around the hearth or wood burning stove will prevent any fireplace-related injuries. We also recommend getting padded safety products designed especially for raised hearths – perfect for seasons when the fireplace isn’t in use!

Remember, your little is naturally curious, and they depend on you to keep them safe and secure.  You will not be able to protect them from everything.  There will be skinned knees, bumps and bruises, and the disappointments that will bring tears to their eyes.  As they develop from infants to toddlers and start to explore their world, that you call their home – make it safe!