🛡️ Child safety · 6 – 24 months
🧸 Babyproofing the house (when baby goes mobile)
As soon as baby starts crawling or scooting around (around 6-9 months), their exploration zone expands at lightning speed. Inspecting the house from their eye level is the golden rule to prevent home accidents.
Gear to get ready
- Outlet covers / plug protectors.
- Cabinet and drawer child locks.
- Safety gates for stairs.
What to do
1. The crawl-level sweep
Get down on all fours to spot everything within reach (dangling cords, choking hazards, sharp stuff).
2. Lock down the dangerous stuff
Move all cleaning products, meds, and button batteries into high, locked cabinets.
3. Block the major drop zones
Install a sturdy safety gate at both the top and bottom of every staircase.
4. Table edge defense
Stick silicone corner guards on all sharp edges of low furniture.
5. Local guidance
Choose locally compliant equipment and check recalls. Use a hardware-mounted gate at the top of stairs; pressure-mounted gates are not suitable there. Anchor tip-prone furniture and TVs; a corner bumper is not a substitute for anchoring.
Classic mistakes
- ❌ Leaving appliance cords dangling Baby can yank on them and pull down a kettle or an iron right onto their head.
- ❌ Relying on cheap, flimsy drawer locks Some basic models pop open way too easily under the sheer determination of tiny toddler hands.
A local detail, or your own experience with this guide? Write to the team
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When in doubt, contact your doctor or midwife. For a life-threatening emergency, call 111.