You’re pregnant – congrats! You’ve put together your registry, decorated the nursery, but is the rest of your house ready for baby? Here we explain what you’ll need to babyproof your house during your child’s first year, stage by stage.
The Sleeper (newborn to 3-4 months)
Lucky for you, this is the easiest child-proofing phase since there’s a good chance your beautiful baby will spend a lot of time in the crib, stroller or your arms. Still there are a few risks you want to watch out for.
- Suffocation hazards. Your newborn will spend a lot of time sleeping these first few months, so make sure that her bed is free from suffocation hazards such as loose blankets, crib bumpers, or stuffed animals which can get lodged next to her face and impede her breathing.
- Pets. The family pet may not take too kindly to the new arrival. Even if you’ve taken some steps to prepare your pet for the baby, it’s best to keep your newborn and pets separate unless supervised.
The Roller (3 months to 6 months)
As your child develops head control and upper body strength, he’ll learn – often suddenly and unexpectedly – that he can roll. Babies usually learn to roll from their front to their back first and as they add coordination and strength will eventually figure out how to flip back to their stomach. Still during this phase, it’s not uncommon to put your child down on a playmat only to find your child as rolled halfway across the room. This added mobility adds some new ways you’ll need to babyproof.
- If it has a harness, use it. Bouncy seats. High chairs. Activity centers. If it has a harness, now’s the time to start using it. Your wiggle worm is getting more active, but is also unpredictable. A harness will help ensure you baby will stay secure wherever you put him.
- Check the surrounding floor. If you’re giving your baby tummy time on a playmat or blanket, take a good look 3-4 feet in every direction to check for sharp corner, potential head bonks, or small objects on the ground.
- Beds and changing tables. Remember how you used to lay your baby on the bed while you got dressed or folded the laundry? You’ll need to be extra vigilant if you do this now. Once your baby is rollling, you can’t leave him or her unattended on a bed for a moment. Instead, secure your babe on the floor in an activity seat or on a playmat.
The Crawler (6 to 10 months+)
Once your child realizes she can wiggle, squirm, scoot or crawl herself to where she wants to be, there will be no stopping her. Which means your babyproofing needs to step it up too. The best way to babyproof at this stage is to get down to your child’s level – hands and knees – and see what she sees.
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Outlets. If you’re not using the outlet, then plug covers are a must. If the outlet is in use, then help prevent access with an outlet cover that is hard to open. Or, to change the outlet plate entirely, you can go for a babyproof outlet cover. There are a variety of styles, but chose one that won’t drive you crazy and buy them for every room. Outlets are at the perfect height for crawlers and their unique shape and holes make them especially inviting for kids.- Sharp corners. From fireplace hearths to end tables, your crawler’s head is bound to get bonked. Invest in corner shields or hearth covers for especially prominent hazards.
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Low cabinets and drawers. By now, you should have moved all medicine, cleaning supplies and other hazardous materials out of any low drawers or cupboards, but that still doesn’t mean you want your child to empty our your collection of stationary, pots or toilet paper. Cabinet and drawer locks are available in a variety of styles (interior or exterior) and opening methods (toggles, secret buttons, magnetic keys).![]()
Cords. From cell phone chargers to lamp cords, these dangling distractors are extra enticing for new crawlers. Make sure cords are out of reach or hidden behind furniture. For power strips, consider getting a locking cover to help prevent access to all those cords and wires.![]()
Stairs. To prevent unintended trips down (or up) the stairs, invest in a child gate to keep your crawler off the staircase. Be sure the gate is rated for top of stairs. Any baby gate can be used at the bottom.
The Walker (10 months+)
That first step usually comes some time between 10-18 months. This raises the level your child can reach as well as the number of areas in the house he can access. You can choose between childproofing each individual room or purchasing door locks or gates to prevent your child from going in certain rooms all together.
- Tippy tables or bookshelves. The Walker quickly turns into The Climber which means tables, bookcases and counters all become new lands to explore. Use furniture wall straps to secure any furniture your tot may pull on or climb up.
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Window blind pull cords. The cords that hang down on certain styles of window blinds can be potential strangulation hazards for children. Make sure that your curtains have separated (not looped) cords or purchase a blind cord wind-up to keep the cords out of your child’s reach.
- Kitchen dangers. In addition to cabinet locks, there are stove knobs and oven door latches to keep curious fingers safe in the kitchen.
- Bathroom. The toilet. The shower. Your lotion. Bathrooms have all sorts of fun areas for kids to explore. You can choose to invest in individual locks for your toilet and cabinets or a door handle lock to keep the kid completely out of the bathroom.
Check out our entire collection of babyproofing items.