5 Easy Ways to Child-Proof Your Home

October 31, 2016 21 By EngineerMommy

This post was sponsored by the Window Covering Safety Council as part of an Influencer Activation for Influence Central and all opinions expressed in my post are my own.

Getting the home ready for baby requires careful planning and preparation. It’s not just about decorating the nursery with cute accents. As baby gets older and becomes more mobile, it’s important to protect her from the various hazards throughout a home. From covering electrical outlets to using cordless window coverings, there are many ways to child-proof the home.

5 Essential Ways to Child-Proof Your Home

5 Easy Ways to Child-Proof Your Home

5 Easy Ways to Child-Proof Your Home

1. Cabinet Locks: Cabinets in the kitchen and bathroom tend to hold cleaning products, which are often full of toxic ingredients. It’s important to make sure that baby cannot access these products, so a sturdy cabinet lock is essential. We installed this one on our bathroom cabinet and it has worked well for years!
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2. Stair Gates: Once baby starts crawling or walking, it’s important to keep her away from the stair way. Install a durable stairway gate to make sure baby doesn’t try to climb up or down the stairs. While a tension-based gate may be acceptable to keep baby out of a particular room, use an anchored baby gate (one that is screwed into the studs of the wall) at the top of any stair way, like this stairway gate we installed years ago.
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3. Outlet Protectors: Electrical outlets are usually placed low on the wall – right at baby’s eye level when she is crawling. Protect baby from electrical hazards with outlet covers. Plug-in outlet covers are better than nothing, but the most secure solution is a product that goes over the whole electrical switch plate and conceals everything inside a durable box. We have had this outlet protector installed in multiple outlets in the nursery.
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4. Soft Furniture: It may not be practical to replace all your furniture for baby, but try to make some simple swaps when possible. Rather than a glass square coffee table with sharp corners, opt for a cushioned ottoman instead. We have used this ottoman in our living room for years – it can hold our remote, a drink, our feet, etc. When it’s not practical to replace furniture, buy cushioned corner pads to protect baby from all those sharp edges.
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5. Cordless Window Coverings: The hazards of corded blinds is often overlooked by first-time parents, but the dangers are very real for young kids. It’s crucial to replace any corded window coverings in your house with cordless options. Exposed or dangling cords pose a strangulation hazard to infants and young children.
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Did you know that October is National Window Covering Safety Month? For homes with young children, only window coverings that are completely cordless (or have cords that are inaccessible) are safe. Take some time over the next week or so to evaluate the window coverings in your home. In surveying my own home, I found a few window coverings that were compliant, like these cordless blinds in our hallway bathroom.

5 Easy Ways to Child-Proof Your Home

5 Easy Ways to Child-Proof Your Home


However, I also found these corded blinds in my home office. I will be replacing them shortly with a cordless variety.
5 Easy Ways to Child-Proof Your Home

5 Easy Ways to Child-Proof Your Home


Not sure if the window covering you like at the store is compliant? Look for the following Best for Kids™ certification label on product packaging. Best for Kids™ products are currently available at major retailers throughout the nation.
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Check out this video to learn more about the label certification!

Best for Kids Label Cerification from Window Covering Safety Council on Vimeo.

Now, learn more about the Window Covering Safety Council and tell me: What is your best tip on child-proofing the home? Do you have cordless window coverings in your home?


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