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New baby7 min read

Baby-Proofing Your Home, Room by Room

Kitchen, bathroom, nursery, living room, stairs, garage — what actually needs to change before the crawling starts.

Baby-proofing is not a Saturday project. It's a slow layering that starts around six months and finishes when your kid stops climbing everything — usually somewhere around age four. Do it room by room, and buy things when you actually need them, not when the baby-store algorithm tells you to.

When to start each stage

  • 0–6 months: nothing beyond safe sleep and car seat.
  • 6–9 months (crawling): outlet covers, stair gates, cabinet locks in the kitchen and bathroom.
  • 9–14 months (pulling up): anchor furniture, secure TVs, latch low windows.
  • 14 months+ (walking, climbing): door knob covers, oven latch, pool/tub safety.

Kitchen

  • Lock the cabinet under the sink — usually the most dangerous cupboard in the house.
  • Move all cleaning products, dishwasher pods, and medication above shoulder height.
  • Install a stove-knob cover set; turn pot handles inward every time you cook.
  • Anchor the oven and consider an oven-door lock once your toddler is walking.
  • Tape over the reset buttons on garburators; latch trash cans.
  • Keep hot drinks, knives, and small magnets well back from the counter edge.

Bathroom

  • Set the hot water heater to 49°C (120°F) to prevent scalds — Government of Canada guidance.
  • Toilet lid locks — drowning risk in even a few centimetres of water.
  • Non-slip mat inside the tub and a soft spout cover.
  • Lock medications and razors in a top drawer or upper cabinet.
  • Never leave a baby unattended in the bath, even for the phone.

Living room

  • Anchor every dresser, bookshelf, and TV stand to the wall.
  • Mount the TV or use a wide-based stand; tip-overs are one of the top causes of childhood injury.
  • Cord-wind blind cords or replace with cordless blinds.
  • Cover sharp corners on coffee tables and hearths.
  • Move houseplants — many common ones are toxic if chewed.
  • Fireplace: install a hearth gate before the baby is mobile.

Nursery

  • Crib: firm mattress, tight fitted sheet, nothing else — no bumpers, pillows, blankets, or toys.
  • Anchor the dresser; keep the change pad strap fastened even for a quick change.
  • Cover outlets and hide cords behind furniture or cord protectors.
  • Move the crib away from windows, blinds, and cords.
  • Install a working smoke and CO alarm; check batteries twice a year.

Stairs, doors, and windows

  • Hardware-mounted gates at the top and bottom of every staircase.
  • Pressure gates are fine at the bottom, never at the top.
  • Window stops or guards on any window above ground level.
  • Door knob covers on rooms with hazards (garage, laundry, storage).
  • Sliding door pin locks so a toddler can't push out to a deck or pool.

What to skip

  • Corner bumpers on every hard edge — kids learn from small bonks; save it for glass and stone.
  • Every plug in the house — cover the low ones your baby can actually reach.
  • Fancy multi-function “baby-proofing kits” — most are lower quality than buying pieces individually.
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Frequently asked questions

Start the room-by-room pass around 5–6 months, before crawling starts. Cabinet locks and stair gates are the highest-impact items to install first. Furniture anchoring should be done as soon as the baby can pull to stand.

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