Whether you have a newborn or are preparing your home for visitors with small children, determining what within your home needs babyproofing can feel like an overwhelming task. Between stairs, cords, and bookshelves, there are all kinds of seemingly innocuous household items that need to be adapted. However, if you go room by room, these tasks can feel a little less overwhelming.

Home Babyproofing Tips

When it comes to babyproofing your home, it's often best to complete your safety measures sooner, rather than later—especially before a baby is ready to crawl. When you're deciding what you need to change or implement, it's often best to change your perspective. As you go through each area of your home, try looking at every space from the perspective of a small child that's low to the ground. What can you see from that angle? What can you grab? Thinking proactively will help you keep kids safe.

While some hazards are room-specific, there are other tasks you'll want to complete in every part of your home. For example, you'll want to secure furniture that could be pulled over by anchoring it to the wall. You'll also need to install baby gates, especially near stairs. However, gates can also help limit access to different rooms or hallways without needing to completely close the door. This is a great solution for areas like a home office or a laundry room where there are too many concerns to remedy. It's also a good idea to install outlet covers and test smoke detectors, if you're not already in a home maintenance routine.

How to Babyproof Your Nursery

Babyproofing your nursery might seem intuitive, as it's "home base" for caring for a child, but there are still many details that could get overlooked when decorating. Most importantly, your baby should always sleep on a flat surface in their crib. There should be no pillows, blankets, or stuffed animals accessible to them while they're asleep. While you should never leave a baby unattended on a changing table, a sturdy surface is still a must. Consider looking for one with a guardrail and an indented center. Store diapers and supplies within arm's reach to make changing diapers safe and efficient.

How to Babyproof Your Kitchen

While babyproofing your kitchen might not seem like a priority at first, there are still plenty of good habits to develop now before your baby is ready to crawl. Start by adding stove knob covers and remember to always turn pot handles toward the back of the stove, even when they're not in use. Install cabinet latches or locks, and store sharp objects like knives, scissors, or blender parts.

How to Babyproof Your Bathroom

Cabinet locks are just as helpful in the bathroom as they are in the kitchen to keep hazards out of reach—especially medication. It's also a good idea to add a toilet seat lock to keep fingers from getting pinched. When it comes to the tub, consider adding a nonslip pad for bathtime. Make sure to hang it over the side of the tub or shower rod afterward to dry and prevent mold build-up. Then, measure the width of your bathtub faucet and look for a cover or bumper to prevent injury from bumps. Before your little one's first bath time, test the temperature of the water and consider adjusting your water heater. The temperature for bathwater should be no more than 100 degrees Fahrenheit.

How to Babyproof Your Living Room

It's important to make sure you're able to relax in a baby-safe room, too. Consider adding table guards to sharp corners or rearranging furniture so it's harder for a crawling baby to bump themselves on something hard. Add screens in front of fireplaces and never leave a child of any age unattended when a fire is burning. Consider storing toys in boxes without lids so small fingers don't get crushed or pinched. If you have window blinds with cords, shorten their length and keep them out of reach by tying them or secure them with a wall hook.