Tips to Babyproof Your Home

When your little one becomes mobile, they'll try to get into everything. One minute they're in the living room and the next they're playing in the dog's water bowl. Here are some tips to make sure your home is ready for your curious baby.

1. Kneel down on the floor to get a look at things from your baby's eye level. Look for anything a baby might put in their mouth — such as dog toys, shoes, etc. — and anything they might tug on, like a lamp cord. Make a list of everything that needs to be babyproofed so you don't overlook anything.
2. Use safety plugs and outlet covers to keep unused outlets out of reach.
3. Use door locks to control access to unsafe areas.
4. Install stove knob covers and a stove guard to prevent burns, and turn pot handles toward the back of your stove when cooking.
5. Keep knives, dishes, cleaning products, breakable items and other off-limit materials secure using cabinet and drawer latches.
6. Use corner and edge guards to keep little heads from getting bruised. When babies start to pull up and cruise furniture, you’ll be glad you covered hearths, coffee tables and other corners.
7. Install child safety gates to block stairways at the bottom and the top. Choose your gate carefully. Gates that mount with hardware are appropriate for the top of stairs. Pressure-mounted gates are appropriate for doorways. Also, make sure the gate latch is on the opposite side so your baby can't reach it.
8. Prevent slips by clearing stairs of any objects you can trip on while carrying baby. Put nonslip pads under area rugs.
9. Secure windows with window guards, window stops and safety netting. Install cordless blinds to prevent choking hazards.
10. Put decals on sliding glass doors to prevent baby from bumping into them. Use fun, bright colored decals so they provide both entertainment and safety for baby.
11. Move furniture and anything else baby can climb up on away from windows and window blind cords.
12. Keep appliance cords, tablecloths, dish towels on oven doors or anything else baby might pull down on top of themselves out of reach.
13. Prevent falls from decks and other ledges by securing openings in railings wider than 4 inches with acrylic sheets.
14. Anchor flat-screen TVs or other furniture that could fall over on a baby who's pulling up.
15. To prevent hot water burns, set your water heater no higher than 120 degrees Fahrenheit.
16. Get a soft cover for your bathtub spout to prevent baby from bumping their head. Place nonslip mats in and next to the bath to prevent toddlers from slipping and to keep you steady when you're putting baby in (and lifting baby out of) the tub.
17. Install a toilet seat lid-locking device to prevent accidents and baby playing in toilet water.
18. Remove stuffed animals, pillows or any other objects from baby's crib that could potentially cause suffocation.
19. Make sure all changing table items, such as lotions, creams and other products baby could ingest, are out of reach.
20. If your home was built before 1978, get it tested for lead paint. If you have lead paint, contact a qualified professional. Pay particular attention to paint that's flaking or peeling.
21. Check the batteries in your smoke detector and carbon monoxide detector. Make sure you have a fire extinguisher and first aid kit handy for any emergency.