Checklist for Childproofing Your Home

• Store soaps and cleaning products up high.
• Lock cupboards and drawers that contain anything you don’t want your little one getting his or her hands on, like if the garbage is in a cupboard under the sink or knives are stowed in a drawer.
• Tuck away appliance cords to prevent a reaching two-year-old from pulling the toaster down on his head.
• Keep the knife block as far back on the countertop as possible.
• Cover exposed outlets. Even if they aren’t reachable from the floor, they could become easily accessible when you have a mini sous chef helping to prepare dinner.
• Install an oven lock.
• Be vigilant when using the oven, stove, blender or garbage disposal.
• Cover burners and knobs on the stove.

Living Room:

• Cover exposed outlets and don’t forget to encase surge protectors.
• Mount bookshelves to the wall. You might hesitate to do this until you’ve finalized the room’s layout, but that could be dangerous if your child is a climber.
• Tack or tape lamp cords against end tables and walls.
• Check for any wobbly furniture, like plant stands or entry tables, and keep them in storage until your child is older. Same goes with floor lamps.
• Anchor the television to the entertainment center or wall.
• Cut or tie window-blind cords so they are out of reach.
• Install window locks.
• Purchase a fireplace cover.
• Add corner guards to furniture with sharp edges.

Bathroom:

• Keep cleansers, medications and anything with a cord, like a curling iron or power razor, out of reach or in a locked cupboard.
• If the garbage is not locked in a cupboard, be aware of what you discard. That razor blade that wasn’t accessible from a shelf in the shower could easily be plucked from the trash.
• Install a toilet seat lid lock.
• Develop the habit of keeping the bathroom door closed.

Other:

• Set the water temperature no higher than 120 F.
• Designate a place for guests to hang their coats and purses. Pocket knives, medication, change and other small items are kept in handbags and pockets, so keep them out of reach.
• Install locks on doors that lead out of your home.
• Add doorstops to keep fingers from getting pinched.
• Make safety gates your new best friend, especially near stairs.
• Block any openings that are wider than four inches with plastic shields.
• Put new batteries in smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors.