How To Baby-Proof Your New Home: Your Complete Checklist

Wondering how to baby-proof your home? What can you do to make it even safer? Read our tips!

Baby Proofing Your House: Checklist and Tips

Install a safety gate at the top of your staircase

Install a safety gate at the top of your staircase to prevent your child from accidentally falling down the stairs. Consider using a pressure-mounted gate at the top of the stairs because these are very easy to install and remove when you need access to that area, but they also give parents enough time to catch their children before they fall.

Make sure you have clear pathways to every room in the house so you can see your baby at all times

It is important that you have the ability to see your child at all times. If they are not in plain sight, then it is possible for them to injure themselves on sharp corners, wires or other household items that may be left out.

Put locks on any windows that are accessible from outside

It is important that your child stays safe in the house when you are not watching them. To ensure this, make sure there are locks on any windows that may be reachable from outside so they can't push or pull themselves up to get out of a window and fall out.

Move all fragile items to lower shelves, or put them in closed cabinets.

Place heavy items on lower shelves and place breakables out of reach. Be mindful of bookshelves, as children can climb bookcases to reach higher objects. It's a good idea to move books and other fragile objects off the shelves before you bring the baby home.

Place furniture close enough together so there's no space for your baby to get stuck between them.

For example, if you have a tall bookshelf next to your entertainment center, move the bookcase away from the wall so there's no space for the baby to get stuck. You may want to place a child gate in the doorway where your entertainment center is. If you have some room behind it, that's fine; but if there's no space between your TV stand and the wall, put up a baby-proofing gate or object on either side of it so the baby can't crawl through or climb over.

Keep poisonous substances out of reach and store cleaning products under lock and key.

It is a good idea to place all of these items in cabinets that can be locked with door latches or knobs. When babies begin crawling around their new home they are going to want to explore every nook and cranny which means you will have plenty of things to hide from them.

Make sure all your electrical outlets are covered with safety plugs.

This is one of the most common ways young children are injured in homes. Safety plugs are easy to install and will not cause any damage to your walls or outlets. It is important to review your home and look for any dangers that you may not have noticed before.

Cover sharp corners with padding for added protection when crawling around.

The padding will help soften the impact if a child runs into it. If you’re home when this happens, take them to a safe place or pick them up and hold them in your arms until their curiosity has been satisfied. Otherwise, the child may not be aware that what is on the other side of a wall could potentially hurt him/her. A child’s reaction to danger can often be “run towards it.” That being said, be careful around glass panes with hard edges in your home where a young baby or toddler may not realize how quickly they can injure themselves if they pull on them too hard or try walking into them.

Get rid of throw rugs - they can be tripped over easily by little ones.

Babies and toddlers may also pull or push them aside for fun. It's best to remove them and use a nice, clean floor. This will be much safer for everyone in the household.

Purchase a fire-resistant blanket for infants and toddlers

They are not only safe but also stylish. This is important because they provide a safe, warm place to sleep without the threat of fire. They are also made with baby-safe materials and soft fabrics that will not irritate your infant's skin while keeping them comfortable throughout the night.

Keep a baby monitor near your bed so you can hear if your child wakes up at night.

You can easily adjust the volume and turn on the lights to check if they are okay. If you need to, purchase an extra camera so that one can be used in the baby's room. This way, you don't have to worry about waking up or checking on your child! You can listen and watch them sleep easily.

When setting up a security system around your home it is important to make sure you can monitor all of the rooms. You may need to invest in additional cameras if there are too many blind spots and not enough coverage. It is important to know where your child will be so that you can protect them from any harm! A baby monitor lets you see and hear what's going on at all times, giving you the peace of mind you deserve!

Buy an extra crib mattress so you can rotate them in between washes.

This is a good idea for two reasons. The first reason being that your child may have accidents and you will want to rotate the mattress frequently so one side doesn't become too worn out from frequent spit-up or diaper leakage. In addition, if they do spill or spit up something on their bedding it's nice to be able to immediately put them on the spare mattress so they won't get an allergic reaction.

Baby-proofing the House is very important!

Make safety a priority. It's important to take the necessary precautions for your new baby and keep them safe from all harm, whether it be preventative or reactive. You'll find that our suggestions will help you stay ahead of any potential hazards so you can give your little one the happy carefree life they deserve!

We believe that it’s a good idea to plan in advance to make your home safer. For more recommendations, see the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and the Early Childhood Development office.

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