🧸 Babyproofing the house (when baby goes mobile)

Gear to get ready

• Secure cabinet and drawer locks.
• Suitable stair gates, including a hardware-mounted gate at the top.
• Furniture anchors and suitable window or balcony safeguards.
• Electrical protection appropriate to your sockets; ask a qualified electrician if unsure.

What to do

1. 1. Do a floor-level sweep

   Remove coins, small toys, magnets, button batteries and dangling blind cords. Check under furniture and secure battery compartments.

2. 2. Lock away hazards

   Keep medicines, cleaning products and batteries high up and locked away, in their original containers. Move kettles, irons and their cords well out of reach.

3. 3. Protect stairs and openings

   Fit gates at the top and bottom of stairs according to their instructions. Secure windows and balcony access without blocking emergency escape; insect screens do not prevent falls.

4. 4. Secure furniture and electrics

   Anchor tall furniture and televisions. Keep climbable furniture away from windows. Repair damaged sockets and secure power strips; do not insert ill-fitting plug covers.

5. 5. Check water and play areas

   Empty buckets and baths immediately after use, secure bathroom and pool access, and stay within arm's reach around water. Use secure corner guards where helpful, but keep supervising.

Classic mistakes

• ❌ Assuming a fitted lock will always hold Test locks and gates regularly, and check that every caregiver closes them properly.
• ❌ Treating babyproofing as a substitute for supervision Safety equipment reduces hazards but does not remove them. Agree clearly which adult is watching your child.

Same topic

• 🛁 Water safety and drowning prevention
• 🔥 Preventing burns in the kitchen and daily life
• 🧠 Essential reflexes: sleep, shaking & outdoors
• 📵 Screens, smartphones and the copycat trap

Read next

• 🍬 Preventing choking and swallowing hazards
• 🪜 Preventing falls at home
• 🧴 Preventing household poisoning
• 🔌 Electrical safety and electric shocks