Article takeaways
- Invest in the right locks and closures for your home. Magnetic cabinet locks require special keys and provide maximum security. Storage bins with snap-and-close lids keep small hands at bay. Childproof safety strap guards keep cabinet doors closed.
- Employ room-specific storage safety strategies. Kitchens and bathrooms typically contain the most hazards and deserve extra attention. Use specialized appliance storage solutions, advanced safety zones, and secure storage for medicines and cleaning supplies to effectively childproof these areas.
- Adapt storage systems as your child develops. Nursery organization and newborn childproofing safety are crucial during a baby’s first year. Plan to evolve your childproofing storage solutions with more sophisticated safety equipment at each new stage of your child’s development.
- Maintain and monitor your childproofing safety systems. Regularly test locks and storage solutions to ensure they are operating correctly, and replace any failing locks or bins. This is also a good time to review the effectiveness of your current solutions, make adjustments, and assess your future needs.
- Go higher for safer storage. Store hazardous items and materials at least 54 inches off the floor, which is well beyond the reach of children under 5 years old. Ensure young climbers are unable to access items stored in these locations.
A safe home environment is the top priority for every new parent, and sound preparation makes all the difference in the first few days and weeks at home with a newborn baby. The transition from hospital to home is a significant transition for new families that can be overwhelming when safety concerns haven’t been adequately addressed in advance. These childproofing tips will help you get everything for your big day.
Coming home day should be about resting, bonding, and acclimating with your child, not fretting over potential safety issues due to poor home and nursery organization. Take time, a few weeks in advance, to walk through each room and carefully childproof your home by safely storing or removing hazardous items in locked containers, and thoroughly organize your space to eliminate safety risks for crawling and walking toddlers.
Not sure where to start? You’re in the right place. This guide will walk you through how to babyproof a house, using an evolutionary approach to safety and organization that’s designed to grow with your child. Our childproofing tips and storage solutions will help ensure your homecoming day is all about you and your baby–not last-minute childproofing.
Where to Start: Storage Solutions for Nursery Organization and Childproofing Your Home
Identifying, securing, or removing hazardous materials and dangerous items is the key to childproofing your home.
Start with a thorough decluttering to remove any unnecessary or unneeded items and to clear space. This initial decluttering serves multiple purposes: it eliminates potential hazards, creates more organized living spaces, and makes it easier to implement and maintain your childproofing measures over time.
Next, walk through your home to identify dangers and try to look at each room from your child’s perspective or eye level. If you can, crawl through your home to see items a crawling baby will see that you might otherwise overlook.
If you have a robot vacuum with a camera, you can also view each room through its room-mapping video as it runs. This unique perspective will ensure you don’t miss even the smallest detail, and it’s the fine details that often matter most.
Pay special attention to items that might not seem dangerous to adults but could pose serious risks to children. Houseplants, for example, may contain toxic leaves or berries that curious toddlers might sample.
Art supplies, craft materials, and hobby equipment often contain small parts or chemicals that require secure storage. Even seemingly innocent items like candles, potpourri, or decorative objects can present choking hazards or other risks.
Your goal when childproofing your home is to identify any potentially dangerous household items and plan an appropriate storage or security solution to keep them safely away from your child.
Household chemicals, cleaning supplies, and all medications should be stored in childproof-locked cabinets or shelved high off the floor. Tuck sharp objects such as scissors and knives into secure drawers or storage bins.
Pack away small items that could pose choking hazards, such as buttons, coins, jewelry, and small toys, and store away any breakable items like ceramics or glassware.
Before You Bring Baby Home: Nursery Organization and Storage Ideas to Childproof Your Home
Effectively childproofing your home requires a careful, systematic approach and a critical eye. Working one room at a time allows you to focus on and appropriately manage the specific hazards unique to that location. This methodical approach ensures thorough coverage while preventing you from becoming overwhelmed by the scope of the task.
Kitchen safety is essential to childproofing your home effectively, as kitchens can be the most dangerous room in any home. Childproofing your kitchen starts with a complete audit and reorganization of lower cabinets, drawers, and pantry areas that fall within your child’s reach.
Replace dangerous items with child-safe options like plastic dishes, wooden utensils, and non-toxic cleaning supplies. Appliance cords can be secured away by bundling the excess length with simple zip ties or velcro straps.
Bathroom hazards are typically found in medicine cabinets and under-sink cabinets, so go through these closely. Child-safe cabinet strap locks will ensure medicines, cleaning supplies, toiletries, and cosmetics remain safely out of reach behind securely closed cabinet doors.
Living areas and bedrooms are fertile ground for bumps, bruises, and accidents, so consider installing padded baby bumpers on the corners of furniture and walls to minimize surprise impacts as little ones navigate and explore. Eliminate cord and cable chaos with specially-made cable management velcro ties or tubes, and keep clutter to a minimum by storing any toys not in use in clear bins with locking lids.
Garages and basements are some of the most hazardous spaces in a home. Keep your child safe from falling tools and chemical exposure by carefully storing these items in bins or on high shelves. An off-site storage unit may make sense if you have large equipment or more hazardous chemicals than you can safely store out of your child’s reach at home.
How Off-site Storage Solutions Can Help With Childproofing Your Home
As you work through how to babyproof a house, keep in mind that sometimes it’s prudent to temporarily store hazardous items off-site during a child’s early childhood years. If your home is particularly crowded or filled with decor and furnishings that cannot be easily or safely secured, off-site storage may be the right choice. By moving potential hazards, dangerous items, or fragile pieces into a storage unit, you reduce daily risks to your family while simultaneously decluttering your home.
A well-inventoried self-storage unit provides a practical option for families who lack adequate secure storage at home for dangerous or hazardous items. Off-site storage is also a popular option for families with extensive tool collections, craft supplies, furniture, or seasonal decor and holiday items that could pose ongoing safety risks if stored at home. Some families find it helpful to store additional seasonal items, such as sporting equipment, off-site full-time, making the addition of potentially dangerous items a natural extension of their existing storage strategy.
Professional storage facilities offer climate-controlled environments outfitted to protect and safeguard valuable personal belongings away from curious children, and many units offer 24/7 access and additional security features and access options. While price should always be factored in, the expense can be well worth the peace of mind these solutions provide for growing families.
When evaluating storage options, consider each facility’s proximity to your home, access hours, security features, and climate control options. Consider the cost of storage against the potential expense of replacing damaged items or, more importantly, the invaluable benefit of knowing your child is safe from serious hazards. Our handy self-storage finder can help you locate a self-storage unit near you.
FAQs
Additionally, consider items that might not seem obviously dangerous but can pose serious risks, such as essential oils, which can be toxic if ingested, or small decorative objects that present choking hazards. Alcoholic beverages, houseplants with toxic leaves or berries, and craft supplies containing small parts or chemicals should also be prioritized for secure storage.
The key is choosing locks that are truly child-resistant rather than merely child-deterrent. Test any locking mechanism yourself to ensure it requires coordination and strength that young children don’t possess. Avoid locks that rely solely on child-resistant packaging principles, as determined children can often overcome these with time and persistence.
Consider your specific circumstances: families with limited storage space, extensive tool or craft collections, or valuable items that are difficult to adequately secure may find off-site storage invaluable. The peace of mind and decluttered living space often justify the monthly expense, particularly during the critical early childhood years when curiosity peaks and safety risks are highest.
