Selecting Baby Proofing Products

In an effort to keep your little one safe and protected, you have decided to go about the task of baby proofing your home. If you are not a professional baby proofer then knowing just where to begin can be quite challenging. Here is where a room by room assessment in an organized fashion can be helpful. I use the following categories when I assess each room. Look at each room independently while reviewing the list below to help determine what products you will most likely need to baby proof your home.

•Barriers –Baby gates (which will be discussed in depth in a separate post) as well as additional baby safety locks on doors.

•Locks and Latches – This category will consist of all the unique devices that will baby proof cabinets, drawers, doors, windows, appliances, toilets and more.

•Accident Safety – Baby safety products such as furniture padding, fireplace hearth padding, appliance and television strapping and electrical outlet covers.

•General Safety – This broad category will cover items like solid door stops, as you know the little rubber caps on the ends of most door stops are a choking hazard. Also in this category are items like non-slip bath mats, bathtub spout covers, window blind cord cleats, boxes to lock up your chemical products and even things like window and mirror stickers to prevent your little one from banging into them.

•Organic (no device) safety, just good ideas to follow. This will include things like placing the kitchen knife block out of reach of the toddler, removing crib bumpers and crib mobiles at the appropriate time, keeping items that are a choking hazard away from the baby and lowering your hot water heater to a maximum of 120 degrees to name a few.

Selecting Baby Proofing Products

So for example, let’s walk into a kitchen and use the list above to determine what baby safety products we will need to make this room as safe as possible.

Barriers: The kitchen should be an “off limits” area while the cooking is taking place. Imagine a child “under foot” while you are transferring that boiling pot of pasta from the range to the strainer in the sink – a formula for disaster. A baby safety gate can keep the toddler out of the kitchen while the cooking is going on. At some point the toddler will wind up in the kitchen, so here are the things to look for to keep that area as safe as possible.

Is there a door in your kitchen opening to the garage or outside? If so, then an additional lock such as a Door Top Lock or a Flip Lock will prevent the toddler from exiting the door. The lever locks that are very common these days are extremely easy for children to operate. Thankfully, there are baby proofing products designed just for lever handles. If you have a swinging door between the kitchen and dining room they can easily catch and pinch fingers, a door positioner will keep the door in one place preventing accidents.

Locks and Latches: All lower cabinets and drawers should be latched. Ovens, trash compactors, dishwashers and refrigerators can all be latched as well. If the trash can is not in a locking cabinet then the trash can itself should have a locking top. Some modern ranges have child safety locks built in to prevent accidental turn-on’s, if your range does not have that feature there are guards and range knob covers to accomplish this task. Make sure the windows are able to lock to a small opening if fresh air is needed. Picture windows that come down to floor level can be protected with either a baby safety gate or plexiglass.

Accident Safety: Bar stools and top heavy type chairs that the toddler can pull down on themselves need to be removed and put into storage for now. Kitchen tables with sharp edges need to be replaced or padded. All GFCI outlets should be tested and in working order. Standard outlets should have slide covers installed.
If there is a television in the kitchen, it should be secured with appliance straps.

General Safety: If there are doors in the kitchen area, replace the door stops with the little removable rubber tips with solid door stops. Any low hanging window blind cords should be cleated up out of reach.

Organic Safety: Move the knife block to an out of reach area of the counter top or better yet, put it in an upper latched cabinet. While cooking, turn the handles of the pots and pans toward the back of the range. Pet food bowls should not be in an area accessible to the baby as small pieces of kibble are a choking hazard.

Selecting Baby Proofing Products

Using my method not only simplifies and organizes the process, it minimizes the chance of overlooking items that need baby proofing. As the child grows, the areas you felt were a waste of time making safe because your child has never touched them, will become the “thank goodness I baby proofed that” areas.

As always, remember: baby proofing provides and additional element of safety, there is no substitution for adult supervision….