As a new parent, it is crucial to make your home a safe place for your toddler. After all, babies love to explore using touch and other senses, which means a lot of things in the home can be harmful to them.
The task can be incredibly overwhelming, but it is all about taking the first step.
Once you do, everything else will also fall into place. So, if you want to toddler-proof your house, you have come to the right place. Here are all the seven tips you need to follow.
Key Notes
- Keep all the sharp objects away from the sight and reach of toddlers
- Tie up the electrical cords or cut them short whole attaching covers on them
- Attach locks on everything that your child can open easily
- Make their nursery a safe place because they will spend most of time there
1. How To Toddler-Proof The Kitchen
You can begin by toddler-proofing the kitchen. That is because it has a lot of dangers, such as sharp objects, stovetops, ovens, cleaning supplies, and much more. Here are some ways to toddler-proof the kitchen:
Sharp Objects
It is important to keep all sharp objects away from the table or counter. You just store them away inside cabinets and out of sight and reach of the children. Besides that, it is also crucial that you keep appliances such as food processors from your two-year-old baby.
Safety Covers
You must add safety covers on the knobs so the child can’t turn the knob on. Besides that, it is important to keep a lock on your oven so that your two-year-old can’t accidentally open it.
Also, put a latch on the refrigerator and keep the magnets away.
2. How To Toddler-Proof The Home
There are general things and objects that exist all around your house. These include electrical outlets, furniture, and much more. It is important to have some guidelines to toddler-proof your entire home.
These include:
- Invest in electrical outlet covers to keep them safe from babies
- Install smoke and carbon monoxide detectors all around your home
- Make sure that you have a first aid kit handy in your home
- Secure all the heavy furniture to a wall with safety straps
- Put a fence and lock it on your stairs so that your two-year-old can’t climb and up and down the stairs without supervision
These are some important general safety guidelines you need to follow when you are toddler-proofing your home.
You can call a professional to do this, as they can let you know what needs to be safe in your home and take steps accordingly.
3. How To Toddler-Proof The Living Room
Your living room is a space for the fireplace, lamps, furniture, and much more. All of these are hot spots, and your two-year-old should not be around these hazards.
Here are all the guidelines to follow to toddler-proof your living room:
Windows
You must put window guards on all your windows so that your two-year-old baby can’t accidentally open them. You must also screw them on the sides of the window frame.
If you want, you can also add bars to the windows, but make sure that they are not four inches apart.
Electrical Cords
Electricity is incredibly dangerous for children because two-year-old babies like to put their hands on everything and explore this way. Here are some things you can do about the electrical cords:
- Attach plastic covers to the ends of the electrical cords
- Shorten any long electrical cords
- Tie up any cords that are not in use to keep them out of reach
- Secure the window cords to a wall
- Use a tie-down device to put the window cords safe
You can use any of these guidelines to make the electrical cords secure. Of course, the ways you use it depends on the type of electrical cords that you have in the living room.
Home Office
Many people also have their home office close to the living room since work from home is becoming the norm in many regions.
You must toddler-proof this part of your living room too. You can start by keeping all the dangerous items such as staple pins, paper clips, and more away in a desk.
Besides that, you can lock the home office when it is not in use so that your toddler can’t enter it. You can also tie up the electrical cords and keep them out of the general vicinity while you are not using the home office.
4. How To Toddler-Proof The Bathroom
A bathroom is also a hazardous place because there are cabinets, hot water, sharp objects, and more. You can begin by putting a safety latch on the toilet seat. It will prevent the baby from opening the seat and exploring what is inside.
Besides that, it is crucial to keep cleaning supplies on the top cabinet and secure them with a lock.
You must also store any medication, shampoo, toothpaste, and much more out of the reach of your babies.
Finally, keep the temperature of the water heater at 120F so that there is no risk of burns.
5. How To Toddler-Proof The Nursery
It is time to toddler-proof the place where your two-year-old spends the most time, which is the nursery.
Start by mounting the dresser to the wall to secure it properly. On the other hand, use cordless window coverings so that there is no risk of entanglement.
You must also leave the crib as bare as you possibly can, as it is the safest. You also don’t need to add a mobile at this age because your two-year-old can easily grab it, and it can be a hazard.
6. How To Toddler-Proof The Fireplace
Of course, you also need to secure the fireplace, especially when it is lit. You must not leave your two-year-old unattended if the fire is going on.
Many people use glass or screen doors, but they are not the best safety measure to use because of the high temperatures.
Instead, call a professional to assess your fireplace. Once you do, they will let you know the best safety measure you can use.
7. How To Toddler-Proof The Laundry Room
Finally, you just ensure that everything in the laundry room is safely locked. This includes detergents, pods, gel packs, and much more.
Make sure that you also buy a lock for your dryer and washer so that your two-year-old cannot open them.
You can also stop buying colorful pods until your baby is six years old, as they will know that these things are dangerous by that time.
Before that, there is always a risk of ingesting these materials that can cause harm to your toddler. So, make sure that you are taking the right precautions to store and lock these things.
Final Thoughts
These are the top five ways you can toddler-proof your home in the best way possible for your two-year-old. Once you do, your home will be a safe space, and there will be no hazards around.
After all, a safe home is a happy home, and it will keep your baby healthy at all times.