A complete guide on how to childproof your home in a handful of simple steps

As you raise your little ones, you want them to have a safe environment to grow and learn.

That’s why it’s crucial to baby-proof your home from top to bottom, removing as many safety hazards as possible to reduce the risk of accidents and injuries.

Whether you’re starting from square one or looking for useful tips to level up your home safety, the guide below has everything you need to know on how to childproof your home, so you can let them play and explore with peace of mind.

Start With a Full Home Shakedown

Before you break out all the childproofing tools and strategies, start by conducting a thorough safety audit of your home. 

Look around for any potential safety risks like choking hazards, electrical cables and outlets, batteries, tripping hazards, and sharp objects. These risks can also include unlocked cabinets with sharp or potentially harmful items inside.

During your search, remember to get down to your child’s eye level to make sure you don’t miss anything. Even items lost under the couch can pose a threat, so be as thorough as possible.

Once you’ve identified all your safety risks, you can address them in an organized and effective way.

Childproof Your Furniture & Electronics

Furniture with loose supports or uneven weight distribution can be big safety risks for children. A slight bump during playtime is all it takes for unstable items to take a tumble.

If necessary, tighten any loose legs or supports and secure bookshelves, dressers, TVs, and other furniture to the floor or wall to prevent tipping accidents.

Also, ensure all electronics and loose cables are out of sight or out of reach. A child can easily become entangled in cords or accidentally pull an appliance down from its perch, which can result in serious injury.

Cover Outlets & Conceal Cables

An open outlet is often irresistible for a curious little one. Whether it’s fingers or toys, there’s always a risk that they could try to stick something in the open slots and get shocked.

Luckily, outlet covers and safety plugs are simple and affordable childproofing products that can prevent these accidents entirely.

And if you have cables that you can’t hide, cord concealers and shorteners will help protect curious fingers from entanglement and electrocution.

Gates & Locks: Essential Childproofing Products

If you have stairs, rooms, or areas of your home that are off-limits to children, you’ll need some childproof gates. Preferably those with a secure latching system that can withstand some serious tinkering from an adventurous little one.

For cabinets and drawers you want to limit access to, childproof locks are your best bet. It’s not always possible to remove all potentially harmful items from storage areas that are accessible to children. That’s where these essential items come in.

Place locks on any drawers, cabinets, or appliances that contain sharp objects, cleaning supplies, and choking hazards. Your kitchen and bathrooms are prime spots for these hazards, and these locks will go a long way toward keeping your child safe.

Secure Your Kitchen & Bathrooms

In addition to childproof locks, it’s important to ensure hot or dangerous kitchen appliances like your toaster, coffee pot, and stove are inaccessible.

Usually, there’s enough room to keep items like the toaster and coffee pot out of reach, but the stove is a bit trickier. 

To keep prying hands away from the stovetop, you can purchase a stove guard—an adjustable plastic attachment that fits on the front of your stove and makes it impossible for your little one to scald their hand on a hot burner.

And for those knobs that look like so much fun to play with, you can install stove knob covers to prevent any unwanted cooking sessions.

As for your bathrooms, you’ll want to install locks on any drawers or cabinets that contain sharp cosmetic tools, medication, or cleaning supplies.

How to Childproof Your Windows & Blinds

Between the risk of entanglement from window cords to falls, windows and blinds can be a serious safety threat to your child.

To avoid these risks, either secure your window cords out of reach or consider investing in cordless blinds. Also, avoid placing furniture that can easily be climbed near your windows—especially if you live in a multi-story home.

And, of course, always keep the windows locked when they’re closed, and closely monitor your little one whenever they’re in a room with open windows.

Get the Best in Emergency Response

Every home needs a plan in case of emergency, especially when a child’s safety is at stake. 

When trusting you and your child’s life to an emergency response system, don’t settle for anything less than the best. 

The Rescu app is the fastest way to get help in an emergency. Twenty times faster than 911, in fact, and without the risk of deadly delays.

With just two taps on your smartphone, Rescu lets you dispatch fire, police, or medical services to your home in seconds—no talking required.

When you set up the app, you’ll input your relevant personal, medical, and property information, all of which is automatically sent to first responders when you send an alert. 

At the same time, Rescu notifies all your listed emergency contacts via text message, letting them know you’ve had an emergency and exactly where to find you.

And, most importantly, Rescu’s 5-Diamond UL-Certified dispatch center is dedicated solely to subscribers, ensuring your alert will always be answered as fast as possible, any time of the day or night.

Your child’s safety is the top priority. Your emergency response system should reflect that.

Download the Rescu app today for the best in personal safety.