Your home is a place of love, safety and warmth for your new baby, but as he grows and becomes more curious, it can also become a dangerous place. Your home is filled with potential hazards to a child that you may have not even noticed. By actively trying to find those hazards and looking through the eyes of a child, you can evaluate your home, identify those potential risks and childproof your home with the appropriate safety devices before your new child arrives.
Step 1
Get on your hands and knees on the floor so you're on roughly the same level as a crawling baby would be, suggests BabyCenter.com. Identify the dangers you can see from this level, such as electrical outlets, cupboards holding cleaning supplies, and wires from phones and electronic devices. Write down what you see so you remember which areas you'll need to childproof.
Step 2
Install safety latches on cupboards where you store toxic chemicals. Cleaning supplies, pest remover, dish soap and paint are all dangerous to babies. If you don't have the appropriate latches, move these supplies to cabinets that are high enough that a child cannot reach them.
Step 3
Place safety gates at the top of stairs and in front of frequently opened doorways. Whether it's a safety gate that leads outside to the pool or one that protects a curious child from tumbling down the stairs, you may find it inconvenient to maneuver around but worth the protection it gives your child.
Step 4
Cover electrical outlets with plastic covers that are available at most hardware and baby supply stores, recommends the Consumer Product Safety Commission. Sockets are especially enticing for little fingers, and the Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health notes that most electrocution fatalities in children occur in the home environment.
Step 5
Cut the long, decorative ties and tassels on your draperies and linens, because they can pose a strangulation hazard to small children. You can also tie them up so they can't be reached or attach cord stops so children can't pull on them.
Step 6
Verify that all smoke and carbon detectors have fresh batteries and are working properly. Complete this step every three months to make sure you're always protected against fires and carbon-monoxide poisoning.
Step 7
Cover any exposed wires that may be under your computer desk. If you cannot cover the wires and cords, place a gate in front of the doorway leading to your computer room, and don't allow your child to come in.
Things You'll Need
- Safety latches
- Safety gates
- Outlet covers
- Cord stops
- Wire covers
