Basic Baby Proofing and Child Proofing
Checklist To Help You Get Started

The whole world seems to open up for the baby once he starts to crawl and stand up by using some support. These small steps are extremely exciting for the baby and curiosity can make him want to touch, taste and feel every new thing that he sees. 

Drapes will need to be pulled, books shall need to be pushed, small objects will need to be held in the hand and examined with the mouth and tables shall need to be used for further escapades into higher areas.

Baby Proofing Tips to Make Your Home a Safe Place 

Hide all the electrical cords and pull strings that you can see. If your toddler starts to pull of curtain strings or electrical cords, he might get hurt by strangulation or electrocution. Remove all cords when they are not in use and use cord shorteners for curtains or blinds.

· Trash bins can be extremely interesting for your baby. The trash can seems to be full of things that are continuously thrown in there and toddlers like to explore what really goes in there. You may not realize but your trash bin can contain really harmful things like plastic bags, empty medicine bottles, broken glass and various other objects that can cause harm.

· Cover all the electrical sockets with socket covers that you can find in electrical stores. This is an extremely important thing to ensure as soon as your baby starts to crawl, especially for those electrical sockets that are at a low height.*****

· Medicine chests and cleaner cabinets should be locked so that your kids cannot access them. Products like medicines, cleaners, bath oils, nail polish removers and beauty products should be out of reach since they can prove to be poisonous. Such products need to be kept in cabinets that are locked.  (See our separate article on the various types of child safety locks available)

· Small objects like marbles, coins and buttons can find their wave into the baby’s hands and then into the mouth. These small objects, if swallowed, can choke your bay and cause an emergency.

· Smaller cabinets that are not so difficult to move should be bolted to the wall so that they cannot be toppled over. Any heavy object that is kept on tables or cabinets as showpieces can also be pushed. These can land on your baby’s foot and hurt him. · Sharp objects like knives, scissors, nail files and other objects that have sharp objects can be potentially dangerous too. If you have decoration pieces that have sharp edges it is wise to put them away for a few years. · Areas that you have not been able to childproof should be made out of bounds by securing those areas with gates or doors with door knobs that are placed high.

· Staircases can be extremely difficult to manoeuvre for your toddler. And there is every chance that he will try to do exactly that especially if you are on a different level in the house. Use stairway gates and keep them locked at all times.

You can never be safe enough when it comes to protection for your baby. So make sure that you follow each and every advice that has been given above so that you do not have to regret it later. As a parent, you want your child to be safe. Sometimes they are in danger and get hurt because we just didn’t know any better. Be certain that you are getting the most complete and diverse childproofing tips and tricks from pros that have done the research for you.

***** Amanda Taylor has contacted us with a word of warning about the use of socket covers:-

Copyright © 2000-2012 Hints and Things

All Rights Reserved.

No portion of this site may be reproduced or redistributed without prior written permission from Hints and Things. All trademarks & copyrights throughout Hints and Things remain the property of their respective owners.

Hints and Things cannot be held responsible for any information given on this site nor do they necessarily agree with, or endorse, the views given by third parties.