Child-Proofing Your Home
Here is a list of suggestions for you when safeguarding you home for baby. Always have adult supervision for your child. Try getting down on your hands and knees and think like a child to see what other safety precautions you can take in your home.
Bathroom
- Be sure to keep the bathroom door closed and the toilet seat cover down.
- Install a seat cover lock.
- Use non-skid mats in the tub.
- Use a rubber bottom mat on the bathroom floor.
- Be sure that all medications, cosmetics and cleaning supplies are stored out of reach.
- Don't keep hair dryers, electric razors, etc. plugged in when not in use.
Kitchen
- Cover all electrical outlets with safety plugs.
- Keep appliances out of reach and use cord shorteners.
- Put child proof latches on all cupboards and drawers containing knives, tools, cutlery, heavy cans, or cleaners.
- Use unbreakable dishes for your child's food.
- Have a fire extinguisher in the kitchen.
- Keep anything that your child can climb on away from counters and stoves.
- Cook on the back elements whenever possible and always keep pot handles turned in.
- Keep your child out of the kitchen, or in a playpen or high chair while you are cooking and preparing meals.
- Do not use tablecloths that a child can grab and pull off of the table.
- Keep plastic wraps and bags out of reach.
Stairs and Hallways
- Put mounted gates at the top and bottom of all stairs.
- Never use the old, accordian style gates, as they aren't safe.
- Never leave anything on the stairs that you can trip on while carrying your baby.
- Use safety doorknob covers on all the doors you don't want your child to open.
- Attach a bell to the door so you can hear when it does open.
- Be sure to have smoke alarms on every floor of your home. Test them at the start of each season.
Nursery
- Be sure that playpens and cribs meet safety standards (CSA/CPSC). Cribs made before 1986 are not safe.
- Keep pillows, stuffed animals, etc. out of the crib to avoid suffocation.
- Never place a crib within reach of windows, blinds, lamps, or electrical cords.
- Make sure mattress is firm and fits snugly against the frame.
- Regularly check to make sure all screws are tightened.
- Remove mobiles from crib once your baby can reach them.
- Make sure all furniture for the nursery has lead-free paint, is sturdy, won't tip, and has smooth edges/round corners.
- Cut any cords on blinds so they are not looped or long.
- Keep diaper-changing supplies out of baby's reach.
Living Room
- Decals placed at a child's eye level on sliding glass doors can help warn them when doors are closed.
- Buy a special guard to keep patio door locked - this will also prevent unwanted entry from outside.
- Remove lids on toy boxes, or make sure there's ventilation just in case.
- Remove cofffee tables with sharp corners or use padding.
- Mount shelving units to the wall, so they can't tip if pulled on.
- Cover your fireplace.
- Use a power strip safety cover, and put clear plastic guards on your DVD players, VCRs, etc.to stop babies from pushing buttons or inserting foreign objects.
General
- Install window safety devices, set to allow no more than a 10cm opening.
- Don't leave furniture or anything that can be climbed upon near windows.
- Ensure that windows are in good repair and that your child cannot push out of the window.
- Know about all of your house and garden plants. Many common plants are poisonous or can cause diarrhea or vomiting.
Click here to download a full-colour PDF version