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A baby’s home should be a safe, nurturing place. Unfortunately, there are lots of areas in the typical household that can pose very serious risks to small children. This is especially troubling for homes with children who are old enough to crawl and walk around. It’s so easy to turn your back for five seconds, only to find your child has gotten into something terrible. Here are a few rooms to baby-proof, and how to go about it.

Kitchen

toddler walking along cabinet with doors safely latched

The kitchen is just a nightmare zone for parents with small children. Despite being only a few feet tall, young children can get into a lot of mischief and be seriously injured if proper precautions aren’t made.

Stove/Oven

Kids love to crawl around on the kitchen floor, shadowing you as you cook. The last thing you want is for your little one to reach the oven door and pull it down only to get burned. Babies “R” Us carries oven front locks for the affordable cost of $4.99. Less than five dollars and a few minutes of installation will go a long way toward baby-proofing your oven and easing your worries.

The stove is another hazard in the kitchen. Make sure to turn all pan handles away from reach and use the back burners whenever possible. Little hands can easily reach up to grab a handle and potentially spill boiling-hot food all over them. Avoid this disaster by exercising caution with saucepans. For models with knobs on the front, look for knob covers to prevent children from tampering with the burner controls and potentially burning themselves.

Cupboards

Add child-proof locks to cupboard doors, and take special care with cupboards with hazardous chemicals in them. You might even consider finding a different place for your cleaning supplies and foregoing the cupboard beneath the sink altogether. Lazy Susans can be especially hazardous for small children, but their very nature makes them a cause for great wonder for kids. Install a child-proof lock especially designed for lazy Susans and keep them out of there.

Faucets

Little hands are more susceptible to scalding than adult hands. When kids are learning to wash their hands, they may not fully understand how to lower the temperature of the water that is coming out of the faucet. Nip that scenario in the bud by installing a shield guard. It’s a universal faucet add-on that fits all faucets and is simple to install. Tip: this device is great for bathroom use too.

Living Area

toddler with cord in mouth

When your child begins to crawl, you’ll want him to be able to explore his world with wonder and amazement. You shouldn’t have to worry about what he’ll get into and how many ways he can hurt himself.

Outlets

Everyone has seen the child-proof outlet fillers that keep tiny fingers from poking in there. Those are great to have for outlets that aren’t in use, but what about cords that are plugged into the wall? You can now find plug covers that will keep your kids from pulling it out and hurting themselves.

Miniblinds and Curtains

Keep miniblind cords out of reach of small children to reduce the risk of strangulation. The same goes for drapery and curtains. Keep them out of your kids reach, and you’ll have more peace of mind.

Small Objects

Remove any and all booby traps from your living areas. That means clearing a path to avoid trips and falls. Everyone in your household should appreciate and benefit from this safety tip. Older homes may be harder to completely baby-proof, so pay close attention to awkward floor plans and sharp edges kids can ding their heads on. Modern home construction is more conducive to growing families, so if your home is newer, your job may be easier.

Bathrooms

bathroom with toilet latched shut

Much like the kitchen, household bathrooms have lots of areas for munchkins to get into trouble.

Toilet

Install a child-proof lock on toilets to keep curious hands from opening it. You’ll want to keep that germ factory off limits to your kiddos. It will also reduce the risk of drowning; a large percentage of child drownings happen in six inches or less of water.

Trash Can

Imagine all the little microbes living in your bathroom trash can. Keep them away from small children by using a model with a locking lid, or placing it inside the cabinet.

Vanity/Cabinet

Lastly, you’ll want to lock the door on the bathroom vanity or cabinet. There are likely a lot of chemicals in there they could get into, as well as toxic soaps and medications.

Baby-proofing your home can be a daunting task, but it’s incredibly important for expecting parents to do thoroughly. This list covers the basics, but there are lots of other ways to child-proof your home. Are there any parents out there with ideas for making this process simpler? Feel free to share in the comments below.