Having toddlers is a precious experience, I loved watching my daughter grow and learn something new every day. But as they start to move and learn, keeping them safe while they explore can be a bit stressful, right?
It’s easy to think your home is already a safe haven, but the truth is, childproofing for toddlers should be your top priority when it comes to keeping your little one safe.
Childproofing for Toddlers: A Sobering Statistic
You may be thinking that your home is totally safe for your toddler. But if you’re too complaint, accidents can happen at any time. According to a study from Science Direct, 70% of injuries to children under the age of five happen in their homes. This is a sobering reality for a parent like me, as I always strive to make our home a safe space.
That’s why it’s so important to take a walk through your home and start childproofing for toddlers( i.e. think like a toddler) . But first, you need to follow some criteria in order to choose only the best products for your home:
Childproofing for Toddlers: Basic Criteria for Childproofing Products
- Effectivity
- Durability
- Safety
- Ease of installation
- Age suitability
Now that you know what to look out for, let’s take a closer look at different types of toddlerproofing products…
Stair Gates
Stairs are a mindfield for a young child (take it from someone who has both a child and stairs). The staircase in your home is the top area where many falls happen, which can result in injuries ranging from “Oopsie!” to “Call 911!!” To prevent such injuries, you can install gates at the top and bottom of your stairway to keep your child away from it.
The most commonly used stair gates are freestanding, hardware-mounted, and retractable stair gates. Freestanding stair gates are portable and don’t require any installation, hardware-mounted gates are mounted into a wall or a door frame, and retractable ones can be retracted or expanded.
Must-Have Products for Childproofing: Appliance Locks
Home appliances make our lives easier, but they also pose a major danger your toddler. When kids get too close to running appliances, they can suffer from burns on the stove, cuts, and other types of injuries. Fortunately, appliance locks can prevent those injuries…
The most common appliance locks are refrigerator locks, oven locks, and dishwasher locks. With these locks installed, your toddler won’t be able to mess with the appliances.
Also, if you want more information on preventing kitchen “oopsies,” check out our piece on childproofing your gas or electric stove!
Corner Protectors
To be honest, corners can be dangerous for us adults too. How many times have you bumped your pinky toe against a corner? It just ruins your whole day, doesn’t it? Now imagine being a running toddler with underdeveloped motor skills.
Thankfully, you can line corners in your home with corner guards, and you won’t have to worry about your toddler bumping into them. Foam corner guards are made of soft foam, perfect for cushioning your toddler from any impact against the corner. Rubber corner guards are a bit more durable. Finally, clear corner guards are barely noticeable, yet they protect your toddler.
Furniture Anchors
Furniture, while comfy and fun to bounce on, is another part of your home that can be very dangerous for your toddler. Especially heavy furniture pieces can tip over and injure your child. That’s why you need furniture anchors.
The most common types of furniture anchors are anti-tip straps, wall brackets, and furniture brackets. Anti-tip straps are basically straps or cables anchored to a wall or floor and attached to a furniture piece.
Wall and furniture brackets are usually made of steel and attached to the furniture. Their main difference is that wall brackets are anchored to the wall, while furniture brackets are anchored to the floor.
Also, be sure to discourage your toddler from jumping on furniture. Start these discussions early, and explain why as clearly as you can. From my experience, just yelling “NO!” isn’t going have an impact. BUT telling them why it’s dangerous will.
Cabinet Locks
There is something about cabinets that attracts toddlers, they love to play in them, hide their toys in them, and open and close the doors. But these cabinets can contain dangerous items, or they can pinch your toddler’s fingers. Install cabinet locks to prevent your toddler from messing with the cabinets.
The most common childproofing cabinet locks are magnetic, adhesive, and sliding locks. While they are based on different principles, they all serve the same purpose: keeping your toddler safe.
Door Knob Covers
Toddlers just love to open and close doors, and yes, sometimes even slam them! While it’s loads of fun for them, playing with doors can lead to many dangerous situations and injuries. Door knob covers will give you peace of mind by ensuring your toddler can’t open the doors by themselves.
The most common types of door knob covers are snap-on covers, grip covers, and lever handle locks. Snap-on covers and lever handle locks require you to press buttons to open the door, which is impossible for toddlers. Grip covers prevent toddlers from turning the door knobs. And if you’re looking for more tips on keeping your little safe around doors, our article about childproofing your front door is packed with great tips!
Funny story, before I had my own children, my cousin used the grip covers on her doors. Having young children, they came in handy to her. But when I was over for drinks, I had to ALWAYS get her to open them for me. Yes, they can even be adult-proof! This was about 20 years ago, so I am sure the newer models are much more adult-friendly…
Safety Gates
Safety gates are similar to stair gates, but installed in other parts of the house, such as doorways and hallways. As such, they prevent toddlers from reaching dangerous places. Some people like to use them for their dogs as well.
The most common safety gates are pressure-mounted gates, hardware-mounted gates, and extra-wide gates. Pressure-mounted gates are similar to freestanding stair gates as they are not mounted. Extra-wide gates are perfect for wider openings that need to be shut for your toddler’s safety.
Honestly, if I could do it over again, I wouldn’t use the pressure mounted gates. Especially if you’re using them at the top of a staircase. My husband and I found they came “undone” very easily. NOT SAFE. We only used these for our dogs, and they didn’t work well. Same with the cheap wooden ones from Walmart.
Places like Homesense or Winners have really nice, strong hardwood gates with rod-iron that can be screwed into the wall. These strong gates are what I recommend when childproofing for toddlers! And if you want more tips for finding the perfect baby gate, our article “What to Look for When Buying a Childproof Gate” is a great starting point.
Window Locks and Guards
Toddlers are often interested in windows. While observing the outside world can be a fun activity, it can also be dangerous, especially if the toddler manages to open said window.
Fortunately, there are childproofing products that can prevent this from happening. They either completely disable window opening or restrict it to safe levels. The most popular window locks and guards are window wedges, sliding window locks, and window guards.
Toilet Locks
Toilet locks won’t prevent your toddler from following you into the toilet/bathroom. However, these sturdy locks will keep your toddler away from your toilet bowl. The water in the toilet bowl is a drowning hazard, but it also contains bacteria and dangerous cleaning chemicals.
To intercept your toddler’s attempts at exploring the toilet bowl, you should get a toilet lock: a lid lock, latch lock, or strap lock.
Doing additional research when you want to keep your family safe is so important. We have a great starting point article, with tons of useful child safety tips.
Make Your Home a Safe Haven for Your Toddler!
In summary, there are many great products out there to keep your home toddler-proof:
- Stair gates
- Appliance locks
- Corner protectors
- Furniture anchors
- Cabinet locks
- Door knob covers
- Safety gates
- Window locks and guards
- Toilet locks
As you can notice, we didn’t include outlet covers. This is because they aren’t proven to increase safety. They can be easily pulled out, they don’t always protect from an electric shock, and they might attract even more of your little one’s curious attention to the outlets.
Just some quick tips: make sure to use the products from our list to help childproof your home. Additionally, keep cleaning supplies, medicines, and any other dangerous chemicals away to prevent accidential poisonings.
Don’t forget about small objects that your toddler can inhale or swallow: remove all choking hazards. Finally, sharp objects such as knives should be nowhere near your toddler.
By following these simple tips, you’ll have a safer home for your little one—and peace of mind for yourself—without all the stress.
Be aware, and stay safe!
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