Up until recently, you haven’t had to worry about your baby getting into too much mischief around the house. But now that she’s starting to get around on her own, it’s essential to ensure she’s protected from any possible safety hazards.
Here’s everything you need to consider to childproof your home for a crawling baby.
Childproof checklist for crawling babies:
- Erect fencing around any pools or other bodies of water on the premises.
- Install window guards or window stops.
- Secure to the walls with safety straps or brackets any furniture and appliances that could fall over, such as bookcases and televisions.
- Cover hard and sharp edges of furniture with padded guards.
- Block access to unsafe areas, such as stairways, radiators or floor heaters, with door locks and safety gates.
- Block openings in railing with a mesh safety guard.
- Place a padded cover over the bathtub spout and line the tub floor with a non slip mat.
- Put safety covers on stove knobs.
- Secure refrigerator and oven doors, low drawers and cabinets and toilet lids with safety latches.
- Cover outlets, power strips and wiring with safety guards, and store electrical appliances unplugged and out of reach.
- Eliminate or put out of reach items that are small enough for your child to put into his mouth (generally anything that would fit into a cylinder 1 1/4 inches wide by 2 1/4 inches long).
- Stow knives, breakables, medicines, toxic agents, gas fireplace keys, matches and other dangerous items out of reach.
- Keep trash in a safety-latch cupboard.
- Remove tablecloths.
- Consult your state poison control center for a list of poisonous plants and remove any in your home or yard that are toxic.
- Remove long cords on draperies or blinds.
- Mark sliding glass doors with decals.
Everything you need to know to keep your little mover safe and secure!
