As a mom of twin toddlers I definitely feel like I need two pairs of eyes to keep a watch over them! When they started crawling and learning to walk, while it was a fantastic time for me, at times it was slightly frightening because of their safety in the house. As all parents will know, the early years of kids’ lives are some of the most important and creating a safe and loving environment for them to grow up in starts here.
Ensure all edges to low furniture is covered with rubber or foam to protect your little one from bumps or scratches!
That’s where kid proofing comes in!
Kid proofing is taking measures around the home to make it safer for your kids. Ideally these should be carried out before your baby starts to crawl and you may need to do several rounds of kid proofing. Make sure to keep an eye out for anything that may be unsafe as they become bigger and taller.
Today, I will take you through 5 Ways to Kid Proof Your Space so you can have peace of mind that your home is a safe environment. Let’s take a look!
1. Cover-Ups
You might be surprised at how many surfaces have particularly sharp edges! Especially for toddlers and kids. All of these edges should be covered to protect your little one from injuries.
Use corner guards for table edges, and pay close attention to those at low levels, such as coffee tables, nightstands, and TV stands.
TOP TIP – Secure your heavy furniture with heavy-duty brackets so there is no risk of anything toppling if your toddler decides to climb!
It’s important to cover all sharp edges on coffee tables, TV units, and nightstands.
2. Electrical Proofing
This lockable power outlet cover will avoid any electric shocks.
It’s widely recommended to go around your home and take measures to protect your children from coming into contact with electrical cables and power outlets.
Consider covering power outlets that are at a low level around the main areas of your home. Many experts suggest using lockable covers that fit over the housing of the power outlet instead of the “blank plugs” that push into the outlet holes. A lockable cover allows a plug to be in the outlet and “locked-in” so it protects any little fingers from getting close to the electrical outlet. These covers avoid any plugs being pulled half out.
TOP TIP – Get on your hands and knees and check around your home for any forgotten power outlets! You’ll be surprised by how many you might miss.
Cable covers like this will help to keep your cords organized and protected from your little one!
Similarly to power outlets, you should tie up or cover any electrical cables. This includes any charging cables for devices like cell phones and laptops. Electrical cables can be potential strangulation hazards as well as shocks if cables are chewed.
There are many child-safe cable tubes available that should be used to hide cables, or you can secure cables high up, out of reach for your child.
3. Cabinet Locks
This is a personal favorite kid-proofing step of mine! And will be super important for those that have smaller spaces. You should remove dangerous items, such as cleaning products, from lower cabinets and put them higher up, out of reach. However, if you don’t have an alternative storage space that is secure for these in the interim, cabinet locks should be used!
By using cabinet locks you can keep your items in the same cabinet and not worry about your child getting in them.
Items to think about moving to higher cabinets or a secure storage place (such as the garage) in cleaning supplies, paint, tools, chemicals, batteries, matches, medicines, pins.
It’s important to take a good look at what you have stored in your lower cabinets and kid proof them if necessary.
Adding cabinet locks to low level cabinets with avoid your toddler from getting into any hazardous bottles like cleaning products!
4. Doors and Windows
These cabinet locks are every parent’s must-have for kid proofing the home!
Doors and windows are other items in your space that your toddler is likely to be intrigued by! Similarly to cabinet locks, make sure your windows are locked with kid proof locks.
If you have items in front of windows, move them out of the way so your kid won’t be tempted to climb up to the window.
Ensure you have door stoppers installed so that doors won’t shut completely. This will avoid any hands or feet getting trapped in a closing door! Hinge guards should also be considered so fingers don’t get stuck in this space.
If you need to close off spaces so that you have an “off-limits” area, use baby gates to close them off safely.
Do you have glass doors? Or lower height windows? You may need to add a protective film to an existing door or window panel.
Ensure your doors and windows have kid proof measures. You may need a protective film for glass panels and hinge guards.
5. Decor Items
Kid proofing your space doesn’t end with the practical ideas like above! Even your decorative accessories can be a potential hazard to your toddler so you’ll need to look around your home for anything that could easily break and take precautions.
Do you have a glass or ceramic vase? Indoor plants? These items should either be stored away or moved to higher surfaces so they are out of reach.
Have you made your home kid friendly with these kid proof ideas? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!