How to Childproof Your Home When You Have Toddlers

It’s so exciting to see babies take their first steps, and before you know it, they’re running around the house, climbing on furniture, and exploring everything they can get their hands on. Suddenly your home is filled with potential dangers! To keep your home safe for your toddler, you need to do some childproofing.

Secure Heavy Objects

Toddlers love to climb, and while there’s no harm in climbing onto the sofa, if they try to scale up the front of a dresser or reach the top of the TV stand, there is a real danger of serious injury or even death. Tipping objects is one of the biggest threats in your home. To prevent injury, you need to secure your furniture to the wall. Hardware stores sell furniture anchor kits that are easy to install. It’s also important to remove heavy knick-knacks from shelves or counters because falling objects can also cause injury.

Lock Up Harsh Chemicals

You probably use chemicals on a daily basis for ordinary household cleaning and chores, but until you have toddlers, you probably don’t stop to think about the danger they pose to your child. Basic chemicals like ammonia can be just as dangerous as acids. Often these chemicals are packaged in pretty colors and attractive wrappers. Putting chemical cleaners out of sight and out of reach is a start, but for maximum security, lock them up. You can install childproof latches on your cabinets. These allow adults to open the cabinets, but can’t be operated by children’s little fingers.

Use Baby Gates

Baby gates can protect your children in a number of ways. Most obviously, they can keep your toddlers from falling down a stairway. Use them at both the top and the bottom of the stairs. Sometimes, kids fall when they’re trying to climb up the stairway. Baby gates are also handy for preventing your curious little one from wandering around the house unsupervised or to keep them separated from pets. Some toddlers become amazingly adept at opening doorknobs. A baby gate can keep them safe in the house.

Try as you might, you won’t be able to keep your eyes on your toddler 24/7. Kids this age are fast, quick, and curious. You’ll protect your child and give yourself peace of mind if you recognize the potential dangers and take some time to childproof your home.

Read this next: Chores You Should Be Giving Your Kids Around the House