Childproofing a home, room by room

Childproofing comes down to a short list of devices: cabinet latches, furniture anchors, safety gates, window guards, outlet covers and working alarms. The CPSC suggests products that meet current safety standards, installed exactly as the instructions say and re-engaged after every use.

The CPSC is also honest about the limit: “no device is completely childproof.” The devices buy you time. Watching still does the rest.

Your child keeps changing, so the home needs another look every so often. The kitchen that was safe for a baby who sat where you put them is not the same kitchen once they can pull up on the oven door.

Kitchen

Latch the low cabinets and drawers. The CPSC lists safety latches and locks for anywhere that holds cleaners, laundry detergent, matches and lighters. Knives belong behind a latch too. Its advice is to lock products away even when the packaging is child-resistant, since child-resistant is not child-proof.

Anchor the range. The CPSC suggests anti-tip brackets on free-standing ranges and stoves, the same idea as anchoring a dresser, and Anchor It covers both.

Keep Poison Control’s number handy. The CPSC gives it as 1-800-222-1222, for any time you think a child has swallowed something. A note on the fridge and a contact in every caregiver’s phone both work.

Bathroom

Latch the medicines. Medicines go on the CPSC’s list for latches and locks alongside cleaners, again whether or not the bottle has a child-resistant cap.

Fit anti-scald devices. The CPSC suggests anti-scald devices on faucets and shower heads, and it gives a maximum setting for the water heater as well. Your water heater’s manual shows how to adjust it.

Stay with them in the bath. The CPSC says never to leave a baby alone in the bath, because drowning can happen in moments. The towel you forgot can wait, or come with you both.

Living room, TVs and furniture

Anchor anything that can tip. The CPSC’s Anchor It campaign puts it plainly: anchoring furniture with drawers, doors and shelves to the wall prevents tip-over injuries and deaths. The CPSC names TV stands, shelves, bookcases, dressers, desks and chests, anchored to the wall or floor, and TVs anchored too.

Installing a kit, per Anchor It, takes a drill and bit, a screwdriver and a stud finder:

1. Attach one bracket to the wall.
2. Move the furniture close to the wall.
3. Attach the other bracket to the furniture or TV.
4. Connect the strap to both brackets.
5. Tighten the strap, then tug on it to check it holds.

If you rent or move, Anchor It also has tips for repairing the holes afterwards.

Cover the outlets. The CPSC suggests outlet covers and plates that are hard for children to remove and too large to choke on, and tamper-resistant receptacles whenever outlets are replaced.

Soften the corners. Corner and edge bumpers go on sharp furniture corners and fireplace hearths, according to the CPSC, as long as they stay firmly attached. A bumper that comes off is a new toy to put in the mouth.

Bedrooms and sleep spaces

Use a sleep product that meets the standard. The CPSC suggests bassinets, cradles, cribs, play yards and bedside sleepers that meet its mandatory standards, with the sleep space kept free of added items, and the baby on their back on a firm surface.

Anchor the dresser. Bedrooms are where most of the tall, drawered furniture lives, so the Anchor It steps above apply here as well.

Go cordless on the window coverings. The CPSC suggests replacing corded blinds and shades because of the risk of strangulation. Where that is not possible, it points to free repair kits from the Window Covering Safety Council, tension devices for loops and bead chains, and shorter pull cords, while noting the kits do not fix dangling pull cords on many blinds.

Check the alarms. The CPSC suggests smoke alarms on every level, inside each bedroom and outside sleeping areas, tested every month. Carbon monoxide alarms go outside bedrooms, near each sleeping area, even in a home without fuel-burning appliances. The CPSC suggests changing the batteries every year, or using sealed 10-year batteries in smoke alarms.

Stairs, windows and doors

Choose the right gate. The CPSC suggests gates that meet current standards, never pet gates, and replacing older V-shaped accordion gates that can trap a child’s head or neck. At the top of the stairs, it says to use only a gate that screws into the wall.

Guard the windows. The CPSC notes that window screens do not stop falls. It suggests window guards or safety netting for windows, balconies, decks and landings, with openings of 4 inches or less, checked often. At least 1 window in each room stays usable as a fire escape.

Cover the door knobs. Knob covers and door locks keep children out of rooms with hazards, says the CPSC, with covers sturdy enough to work and quick enough for an adult to get past in an emergency.

Layer the pool. If there is a pool or spa, the CPSC suggests layers of protection: self-latching gates, fencing, door alarms, pool alarms and covers, reset after every use. If a child goes missing, it says to check the pool first.

When Jo comes to stay or Trisha visits her house, the same list works there too, starting with the low cabinets.

Sources

• Childproofing Your Home — U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
• Anchor It — U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
• At Home (safety) — HealthyChildren.org (American Academy of Pediatrics)

This is educational information from public sources, not a replacement for advice from your child’s healthcare professional.

In Withya, buying guidance in Guides covers the gear for each stage, with the sources beside it.