When Did You Start Thinking About Babyproofing?
Babyproofing our house was never something I gave an immense amount of thought to when my daughter was first born. I knew we would have to tackle it eventually, but I figured by the time we needed to do it I would purchase a few items, move a few things around, and that would be it. I figured I had plenty of time.
As early as when she turned 4 months old, I realized how wrong I was. This was around the time my daughter started having a greater awareness of her surroundings, and by extension, the world.
She would look around and observe her environment with such alertness. She began grabbing for objects and quickly wanted to put them in her mouth. This indicated to me that it was so important to be mindful of the items that were left around her, and what she could grab hold of.
Babyproofing: When and Where to Start?
Around this time I began researching and looking online for some of the items I may need to begin babyproofing our home at this stage, and later. I was amazed at the amount of different products and solutions that were available. It really opened my eyes to what a big job babyproofing really can be.
Fast forward to when my daughter was 6 months old and became very proficient at rolling, then scooting, and then eventually crawling and cruising along the furniture. Her increased mobility ushered me to consider other items to not only ensure that her immediate environment was safe, but any area in the house that she could get to as well.
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Lessons I Have Learned About Babyproofing
By the time my daughter turned 9 months old I had a much better sense of how fast their mobility changes. Paired with that, how curious babies are. The little item on a shelf that you think is hidden or out of their view, is not! They will find it and it will end up in their mouth or other area of their body.
Overall, I have learned three lessons about babyproofing.
- You can never start too early. When it comes to keeping your baby safe, it is better to be safe than sorry, and starting early will give you the best opportunity to cover as many bases as possible by the time your baby is big and mobile enough to explore. Some even add baby proofing items to their baby registry!
- Babyproofing requires a lot more work that you may think. Although your main goal is to of course keep your little one safe, you also want to keep your home feeling “homey” and functional for your family. This can sometimes be tricky because baby proofing items aren’t always pretty, stylish and sleek.
- Babyproofing will be an ongoing project. As your little one develops and grows you will likely need to make changes, add or remove products that no longer suit the needs of your family. You need to always be alert and vigilant when it comes to your child’s safety, so be mindful when it comes to looking out for things or areas that need to be addressed.
What Do You Actually Need to Start Babyproofing
Your babyproofing journey will be unique to your home and your family, but there are likely some common goals that most Mamas would like to accomplish. In this post, I am going to focus on those goals, and offer ideas and products that can assist with those objectives.
Some babyproofing devices can be tricky to install and use. They can also be costly. The good news is there is a lot of variety, and with planning you don’t have to break the bank or stress yourself out to keep your baby safe. There are also companies that specialize in babyproofing and offer consultations in order to offer products suitable to your home.
It’s a good idea to begin planning early so that you aren’t in a panic when your baby becomes mobile, to get things in place in a rush. Planning ahead will likely help you save some money too.
Let’s Get Down to Babyproofing
If you have stumbled upon this page because you’re planning ahead to figure out what you need to babyproof your space, or if you are in the process of babyproofing, this post is for you!
I have compiled a list of things to consider on your babyproofing journey, as well as some of our favourite products that we used or considered for our home. I hope that you find this post helpful!
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10 Things to Consider When Babyproofing Your Home!
1. Sectioning Off Areas of Your Home
The first step we took when babyproofing our home initially was to consider our entire home in terms of baby safe zones. What I mean by a baby safe zone is you need to think of areas of your home where you would feel comfortable with your baby playing vs. areas that have several hazards that you would prefer to keep them out of.
Of course, it is always important to supervise your baby, but there are some spaces that may require more supervision that others. For example, I consider my living room and dining room baby safe zones, whereas, I consider the kitchen, washroom and staircases hazardous areas that would require extra vigilance with my daughter present.
After identifying these areas, consider how you would keep baby out of the more hazardous areas.
Some were easy because there were doors between the rooms (i.e. going from the bedroom to the bathroom), whereas, others were open transitions with no doorways, (i.e) going from the dining room to the kitchen.
For spaces with doors, we decided to keep doors closed whenever the baby was in the safe zone, limiting her access to the more hazardous zone. To keep her from opening the door (when she is older) we discovered door safety covers:
These finger pinch guards are a great option for protecting baby’s little fingers from getting squished by doors.
For spaces that have open transitions, we opted for safety gates. We chose two different kinds: one for areas that we use left often, a fixed, swing gate, and a retractable gate for areas that we access frequently throughout the day. You can check out the ones we chose below:
2. Securing Furniture and Reducing Hazards
Next on the list was to identify big pieces of furniture in each room that posed hazards to baby. This should include furniture that could tip over, wobbly items, furniture with sharp edges and corners, and any other piece of furniture that could be dangerous for baby to be around.
As I mentioned earlier it is always important to supervise your baby, but even with constant supervision, you would be surprised at how quickly accidents can happen.
For furniture items that can topple over, furniture anchors are easy options to secure these items to the wall or floor. Check out some here:
Furniture with sharp edges and corners are hazards for a baby who is crawling, cruising or walking, and could fall or hit their head. These corner protectors come in all different shapes and colours, and offer great protection for sharp edges.
The first ones pictured below are the ones we chose. I also included a different style and colour below, to show some of the variety that is available.
Furniture that is damaged and no longer stable, could break apart or are otherwise unsafe should be moved or discarded.
3. Limiting Access to Hazardous Objects in Each Room
Now that you have tackled the bigger objects in each room, identify smaller pieces of furniture or accent pieces that could pose a risk to your baby. Think small tables, shelves, keepsakes, decor items, televisions, etc.
Pay special attention to anything that contains small parts as these pose some of the greatest risk to baby.
Start by removing small parts, breakable items and any other dangerous objects. Either put them in drawers or chests that can lock or be secured (more on this later), or put it in another storage area out of baby’s reach.
Picture frames, candles and holders or any low lying electronics are light enough for baby to carry or pull down, so pay special attention to things like this.
I love these types of items, so spent a great deal of time moving them from lower shelves to spaces that were accessible for baby.
Television anchors are a great way to protect both your baby and television. Here is a simple model:
To secure cupboards, drawers or other areas you would like to keep baby out of, safety locks and latches are great options. There are many different times depending on the area you want to secure, check out a couple of my favourites here:
Something that I learned is that you can get safety latches for items that may not seem like huge risks at first, but are still important to keep baby out of, such as your fridge, toilet, stove, washer and dryer. Check some out here:
Fridge
Toilet
Stove
Washer and Dryer
4. Cords, Wires and Strangulation Hazards
Any items that include cords, wires or string that baby can pull down need to be secured or removed. A great way to secure them is with wire protectors or wire hiders if you prefer something more permanent. For a quick fix, wires can be taped down until a more permanent option can be put in place.
Cords and wires pose a strangulation risk, and should be seriously scrutinized to ensure baby can’t access them. This is also true for window blinds. For this reason they aren’t recommended for use in spaces where baby can access the cords. Electrical wires pose an electrocution risk to babies.
5. Flooring
Depending on your baby’s stage of mobility (crawling, cruising, early walking, proficient walking) you may want to consider flooring cover options. If you have hardwood flooring, tiles or concrete floors, these hard surfaces could be dangerous for baby, especially if they fall from an elevated height.
Foam mats or carpets are great ways to provide a bit of padding to harder surfaces. Other options include thick blankets with safety grip bottoms. Consider what may be best for your space and your family. Here are some great options:
6. Electrical Outlets and Other Electrical Hazards
Babies love to push things in electrical outlets and other small spaces. Covers for electrical outlets are readily available, and there are various options depending on your needs and preference.
Some of our favourites include:
7. Baby’s Room
Your baby’s room is their sanctuary, their own space. It shouldn’t be overlooked on your babyproofing journey, even if they only use it for sleeping. Especially if they spend a great deal of space in their room, ensure that it is safe for them to roam freely.
One thing that often gets overlooked is your baby’s ability to get out of their crib while they are still too small to maneuver this safely.
One solution we found was this crib net (which of course we primarily purchased because it is a mosquito net, and we live in the Caribbean). The plus is that it doubles as a great way to keep baby in the crib. You can check it out here:
8. Consider Any Hazardous Substances
There are so many household chemicals and substances that pose a hazard to baby. Some you may immediately think of, such as cleaning products, alcohol, lawn maintenance chemicals, etc. However, others may not seem so obvious, like honey before your baby turns one, pet food or hygiene products like lotion and haircare items.
Any and all hazardous substances should be inaccessible and/or locked up from baby’s reach. Consider locking cabinets or high cupboards for storage. Always remember to put them away after use.
9. What’s Left on Your Baby Proofing Journey
You can think all day, and probably still wouldn’t consider every single thing that needs to be addressed during your babyproofing. That is why it is important to remain alert, observe your baby’s movements and always supervise them. This will help you to identify other areas that need to be addressed as your baby grows.
Some final areas to give extra attention includes:
Your Kitchen: Poses a risk because it contains sharp, breakable and hot items.
Your Washroom(s): Water is a safety risk to babies; Babies have drowned in just a few inches of water. Always supervise them when they are in the tub or near water.
Pool/Deck: Just as with the washroom, it is important to always have your eyes on baby at all times when they area near the water. Here is a pool gate and fence option that may work for you:
Laundry Room: Babies like to crawl into small spaces, so be mindful of their access to your washer and dryer.
Fire Safety: Apart from your traditional smoke detector, consider a carbon monoxide detector to ensure your little one remains safe from even invisible threats.
Any other Choking Hazards: This list could be plentiful, but any small parts (anything that can fit in baby’s mouth, nose, etc.) should be out of their reach.
Before you finish off your initial babyproofing, get down on the ground from what would be your baby’s vantage point and look around each room. See what you may be able to access or get into. Sometimes it takes really getting down to their level to notice things that you may not otherwise observe.
10. Creating a Safe Space for Baby to Play Freely
I’ve shared quite a bit about babyproofing and limiting your babies access, but I would also like to focus on creating a safe space for your baby to explore freely and play. This is so important for a developing baby and as they get older.
The goal of babyproofing is not to make your baby feel limited and confined in their own home. Instead, the focus really should be to keep them safe while providing them with the freedom to explore and play, while getting comfortable with their surroundings and newfound mobility.
You will determine what the safest play area/zone for your baby is, but things to consider include a hazard free zone with ample space for them to move around, play and engage with their toys.
Barricades to keep your safety zone enclosed may be considered to separate this safety zone from hazards, but ideally baby should have a good deal of space to play, considering their stage of mobility.
Here are a couple of enclosures to consider:
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Final Thoughts
As a parent, your biggest priority is likely your child’s safety. Creating a safe home environment for your baby is important to help you feel comfortable, and for them to develop in a safe and nurturing space.
I hope that the tips, suggestions and products that I have shared in this post has helped you to start thinking about how you would like to adapt your home to create the safest space for your baby.
Babyproofing can seem like a daunting task, but planning early and tackling it in an organized way will help you to stay on task with minimal stress.
I Would Love to Hear From You
Please feel free to reach out to me with any questions or comments. You can use my contact form, or leave a message in the comments below.
Already started your babyproofing? I would love to hear about suggestions and products you used during your baby proofing journey.
