The Child-Proofing Checklist

*This is a collaborative post

Children can be a bit of a whirlwind around the home and based on my own experience with Erin and Neve, can also find lots of ways to get into mischief or cause themselves injury. Childproofing your home is very important to keep them safe. If you’re getting to the point where your babies are starting to be on the move, follow this guide and my child-proofing tips to get your home child-ready and safe. 

1. Put a non-slip mat in the bath to prevent the child from slipping during bathtime. 
2. Fit an oven door guard to prevent nasty burns. 
3. Always turn pan handles inward while cooking so they can’t be grabbed by little hands.
4. Turn off any appliances when they aren’t being used. 
5. Keep matches, lighters and candles in a cupboard that is out of reach of your child or is kept locked. 
6. Consider solid wood flooring. Wood is easy for you to clean and is a natural shock absorber in the case of falls. Add some cosy rugs to protect little knees. 
7. Store your hairdryer and straighteners well out of reach and always put them away when you’ve finished using them.  
8. Don’t leave toys in the cot when your baby is sleeping. 
9. If your baby is able to get up onto their hands and knees, remove anything hanging above the crib so they can’t get caught in it. 
10. When you’re not in the room, keep the drop side of the crib up and locked into position to prevent falls. 
11. Protect little fingers from being caught in doors by using door stops if you’ve left a door open. 
12. Keep electrical cords out of reach or hidden behind furniture.
13. Install a safety gate at the top and bottom of the stairs to prevent nasty falls. 
14. If your bannisters or outdoor fencing have gaps large enough for a child to fit through, consider blocking them with panels or plastic. 
15. Install a fireguard an always use it in when the fire is on.
16. Keep knives, heavy pans, breakables and other potentially dangerous items well out of reach. 
17. Put locks or latches onto cupboards where you store anything dangerous, like cleaning supplies to prevent accidental poisoning or other accidents.  
18. Buy a bin with a childproof lid to stop your child getting at gone off food, containers from cleaning chemicals and other potential nasties. 
19. Secure heavy furniture that could topple, like dressers or bookcases, to the wall. One of the most common toddler accidents is pulling furniture over onto themselves. 
20. Attach corner and edge guides to furniture like dining and coffee tables to prevent bumps, bruise and other injuries from collisions. 
21. Secure your television to the wall so it can’t be tipped over. 
22. Move unstable lamps to behind furniture.
23. Make sure that your child cannot reach anything dangerous from their high chair. 
24. When the high chair is not in use, put it away to avoid pinched fingers or it being pulled over onto your child. 
25. Move medicines, vitamins, toiletries and other items that could be toxic to a locked cabinet. 
26. Keep your and visitors handbags out of reach. Handbags often contain medicines, makeup and small items that could be a choking hazard. 

What other child-proofing methods have you adopted in your home?