How to Childproof Your Home Safely
Childproofing works best when it's approached systematically rather than piecemeal. Getting down to a toddler's eye level in each room is one of the most effective ways to spot hazards adults typically miss. This article covers general, widely recommended practices — for specific safety concerns, especially anything involving a child's health, consult your pediatrician.
Kitchen
Install cabinet and drawer latches on anything containing cleaning supplies, sharp utensils, or small items. Use the back burners on the stove when possible, and turn pot handles inward so they can't be grabbed from below.
Living room
Anchor bookshelves, dressers, and TVs to the wall with furniture straps to prevent tipping — this is one of the most commonly overlooked hazards and a leading cause of injury in young children. Cover sharp table corners with padded corner guards.
Bathroom
Store medications and cleaning products in a locked cabinet well out of reach, not just a high shelf. Set your water heater to a safe maximum temperature to reduce scald risk, and never leave a young child unattended near any amount of standing water.
Electrical outlets and cords
Cover unused outlets with safety plugs, and use cord shorteners or cord covers to keep blind and appliance cords out of reach, since cords present both a strangulation and a pulling hazard.
Stairs and doorways
Install safety gates at the top and bottom of stairs. Top-of-stair gates should be hardware-mounted rather than pressure-mounted, since pressure-mounted gates aren't rated to prevent a fall down stairs.
Windows
Install window guards or stops on upper-floor windows, and keep furniture away from windows so it can't be used to climb up to them.