Seven Tips for Babyproofing Your Home

For new and experienced parents alike, there’s nothing like bringing a baby into your home and life. Before your bundle even arrives, you’ve probably tackled the long list of essentials your child will need, but the more important focus should be on how to keep your baby safe long after the first few weeks of sleepless nights. Get a handle on babyproofing your home with our seven tips.

1. Cover Your Outlets

For adults, it’s easy to dismiss outlets as out of sight, out of mind, but in the eyes of a curious child, electrical outlets can mean dangerous situations in a matter of seconds. The good news is that protecting your child from potentially dangerous situations can actually be quite simple.

Eliminate hazards from happening by beginning with the basics. Carefully examine all electrical outlets that are within eyesight and reach of your little ones. All unused outlets near the ground should be secured with outlet protectors. These come in a variety of styles, and are typically priced within reason. Sliding outlets allow you to keep the aesthetic of your home without those bulky covers.

2. Smooth Those Sharp Corners with Corner Guards

Take a look around your home. The majority of your furniture likely has sharp corners that are an accident waiting to happen for a wobbly toddler.

Corner guards, like the one pictured above, come in many shapes and sizes, though they all have one purpose: To protect your child from sustaining an injury. We all know that coordination comes with time and practice, and your little one is sure to stumble once or twice as he grows. Until then, cover up those sharp corners.

3. Prevent Accidental Exposure with Drawer Safety Latches

As proud parents, we admire and encourage our child’s curiosity; however, there are simply some household items we do not want our little one getting into! What may be harmless to you could mean major trouble for your child’s health.

While it’s best to keep all potentially harmful items out of cupboards and cabinets that are within your child’s reach, you can take an extra step in safeguarding your home with the help of cabinet and drawer safety latches. These safety products are designed to keep your child from accessing off-limit items, while still allowing parents and caretakers to use the space for storage.

4. Look for Products with the Child-Guard Closure System

Parents everywhere are talking about Child-Guard™, the child-resistant closure system designed specifically for products that use flexible packaging (as shown above). Some of today’s most popular household products, like Tide, utilize Child-Guard™ to offer an extra step of safety with a child-resistant zipper that keeps little fingers away from potentially harmful products.

As parents, we prepare our homes as much as possible to keep our kids safe in all stages of life, but it only takes a matter of seconds for little hands to get ahold of something dangerous!

To open the package, you must first move the slider to the left point of the zipper. Next, push down on the slider’s tab and, at the same time, pull the slider to the right along the track.

Check out this educational video to learn more or visit the Child-Guard™ blog for additional safety tips.

5. Create a Safe Space with Baby Gates

No matter where you live or what you have in your home, there’s no escaping the need for baby gates as your baby begins to crawl and pull himself up. Gates are most commonly placed around staircases, in entryways of rooms, or to prevent your child from accessing particular spaces and items in your home.

By the time your baby is 6 months old, he will likely be cruising on all fours from room to room. To help keep your baby in a designated area for a short period of time, play yards and portable cribs come in handy when you need your hands free for a moment.

Safety gear, such as playpens and baby gates, come in a variety of sizes, styles, and mechanisms, so be sure to measure the areas in your home to find the products that are right for your needs.

6. Lock Down Furniture

Seeing your baby pull himself up for the first time is an exciting milestone! It can also signal the start of discovering unknown territory for your little one. From changing tables to dressers, many of the items in your child’s nursery are heavy, and safety precautions should be taken.

To prevent heavy furniture from tipping over, furniture straps should be fastened to all large items in your child’s room and the wall, so that nothing can tumble forward onto your child if pulled or climbed on. Check out this article for tips on installation.

7. Prevent Pinches with Finger Guards

Keeping little fingers and toes from getting pinched in doors is tough. As our little one gains mobility and begins exploring the home, doors can slam, and resulting injuries can happen in the blink of an eye!

Protective products such as finger guards help keep doors from slamming shut by creating a cushion between your door’s edges and the frame. To learn more about how to make your own finger guards or other household child safety products, check out this article.

Find What’s Right for You

There are a thousand ways to raise your child, and only you can know what works best for you; however, all children deserve to be safe. For more information on babyproofing your home and updates on safety techniques for your child in all stages of life, visit Child-Guard’s™ blog and Facebook page.