The home can be a dangerous place for a baby or young child, and accidents in the home are a common reason for visits to the emergency room. But child proofing the home need not be overwhelming. Parents just have to think like a child and look for hazards that small infants or kids might get into.
Step 1
Explore the house at kid level. Get down on your hands and knees to crawl around the house and investigate nooks and crannies that you can't fit into but a child could.
Step 2
Remove or cover low-lying dangers. Cover electrical outlets with plug-in outlet caps that prevent children from sticking things into the holes. Put childproof latches on cabinet doors and drawers.
Step 3
Keep toxins away from kids. Low-lying bathroom and kitchen cabinets are obvious places to keep free of toxic cleaners and other substances, but you should also remember to clear out or install safety latches on medicine cabinets, bedroom dressers, closets, garages or sheds. Even purses should be kept out of reach of little hands, or should be clasped shut with childproof fasteners.
Step 4
Secure all areas that involve water. Make sure swimming pools or hot tubs are inaccessible to children by using covers and blocking unsupervised access to the backyard or pool area using gates, fences or a locked door to the outside. Don't ever leave standing water in a sink or bathtub. Put a safety lock on the toilet lid.
Step 5
Keep baby out of dangerous areas. Use baby gates to limit children's access to areas such as stairs or slippery floors. Keep kids from high windows by removing anything a child could climb up on and by using window guards. Prevent kids from getting outside or into dangerous rooms by using safety locks or doorknob covers.
Step 6
Prevent choking by keeping small objects from tiny hands. Store foods and any small household objects that might pose a choking hazard, such as candies, peanuts, screws and pennies, in high cabinets or locked drawers where kids can't reach them. Inspect all toys for small pieces that could fall off and be ingested by the child.
Step 7
Secure sharp objects, including kitchen knives, scissors and nail clippers, in a safe location that is out of children's reach.
Step 8
Keep infants and small children away from hot objects, including cups of coffee, bathroom appliances and the stove. Try to cook on the back burner to avoid hot food toppling over onto a small child.
Step 9
Make sure all blinds and curtains have cords that are tied up out of reach of a child, since these can cause strangulation. Also keep cords for electrical appliances such as TVs or computers out of kids' reach.
Tips and Warnings
- Keep a first aid kit in a home with children in case of minor mishaps. Print a list of emergency phone numbers, including ambulance, police and poison control, and place this list near the phone so it is accessible in case of an accident.
- You should supervise babies and small children at all times. Child proofing is not a replacement for supervision. When purchasing safety products, check for recalls and always send in the product registration card so that you will be informed of future recalls. Stop using any recalled product immediately and get a replacement instead.
Things You'll Need
- Outlet covers
- Child safety latches for drawers and cabinets
- Baby gates
- Window guards
- Door locks
