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Children are naturally inquisitive and love to explore their environment – they learn by doing, which is wonderful to witness, but keeping them safe while they explore the world around them is one of the most important jobs of a parent. Setting your home up safely allows your baby to learn and explore safely.
What is baby proofing?
Your baby’s innate curiosity is a vital part of their development. They’ll grasp, chew, press, and pull as they explore their surroundings.
While this exploration is essential, everyday household items can present unexpected hazards.
Baby proofing transforms your home into a secure environment, allowing your little one to safely discover the world around them. By proactively safeguarding your living spaces, you create a nurturing setting where your baby can thrive and you can live with happy peace of mind.
When should I babyproof my house?
When to Start Baby Proofing: A Two-Stage Approach
I recommend taking a two-phase approach to baby proofing.
- Stage 1: Before the baby arrives
- Stage 2: When the baby is on-the-move
Stage 1: Baby Proofing before the baby arrives
The first sweep should happen before your baby arrives, laying the groundwork for a safe environment from day one. You aren’t just setting your house up to be safe for your baby, you need to keep in mind that you may be wandering your house in the dark with a small child in your arms before they even think about crawling. Baby proofing is as much about your own safety as it is about theirs.
Things to think about before baby arrives
- Trip hazards, electrical cords
- Lighting options for overnight
- Stair railings
- Safe nursery furniture, inc. baby’s crib
- Sharp corners, sharp edges, sharp objects
- Window locks
- Anything that little fingers can get caught in
- Use cordless window coverings where possible
Stage 2: House babyproofing with a baby on-the-move
The second phase of baby proofing comes when your little one begins to explore independently – crawling, pulling up, and navigating the home on their own terms.
While supervision is always important, creating a space that’s purposefully set up for your baby’s development helps minimise unnecessary risks as they reach key gross motor milestones. A proactive approach makes all the difference.
Things to think about when your baby starts moving around/crawling
- Install child locks on cupboards and drawers
- Cover electrical outlets with outlet covers
- Secure heavy furniture to walls, wall anchors are a cost effective way to do this
- Hiding loose plastic bags
- Using approved safety latches
- Putting safety gates at the top and bottom of staircases (more on this below)
- Anything that can be pulled onto their heads with baby’s grasp (think hot cups of tea)
- Safety covers and fences for water features, pools, ponds
Safety Gates Placement: Baby Proofing with Confidence
When your baby begins to explore, safety gates become essential tools for keeping them safe while encouraging their independence.
This list is just for parents to consider. Every house is different. You are not likely to need all of these.
Below is where safety gates can help protect your baby at every stage of mobility:
1. Top of the stairs
Absolutely essential. A hardware-mounted safety gate here prevents dangerous falls and provides peace of mind, especially as your baby becomes more adventurous.
2. Bottom of the stairs
Babies love to climb – even before they’re ready. A gate at the base stops unsupervised attempts at scaling stairs.
3. Kitchen entrances
Hot surfaces, sharp utensils, and cleaning supplies make the kitchen a high-risk area. A gate keeps little ones safely out of harm’s way.
4. Laundry room entrances
Detergents, irons, and slippery floors are best kept off-limits with a gate to block access.
5. Bathroom doorways
Prevent access to water, medications, and electrical appliances by using a gate or keeping doors shut with child-proof handles.
6. Home office or study areas
Cords, chargers, and small objects are potential hazards. A gate ensures these areas remain adult-only zones.
7. Fireplace or hearth area
Install a heat-resistant gate around fireplaces to protect curious fingers from sharp edges and hot surfaces.
8. Rooms under renovation or with fragile items
If a room isn’t baby-ready or contains breakables, use a gate to keep it off-limits until it’s safe.
9. Large open-plan spaces, often the living room
Expandable gates can section off areas in open-concept homes to create dedicated play zones, these can be known as play pens.
10. Pet feeding areas or litter zones
Gates help keep your baby away from pet food and waste—both of which can pose health risks.
11. Balcony or patio entrances (indoor threshold)
Even if the door is shut, a gate adds an extra layer of safety from potentially hazardous outdoor areas.
12. Garage entryways
Garages often contain tools, vehicles, and chemicals.
13. Near open fireplaces or wood stoves
Even when not in use, these features can have residual heat or sharp edges. Create a buffer zone with a secure gate.
14. Shelving or entertainment units
Babies love to climb. Gates or protective barriers around furniture that isn’t wall-mounted can prevent tipping and injury.
15. In place of, or inside, their bedroom door
This can stop toddlers wandering around the house at night, once they have moved into a big bed. It also means you can hear them better than if you were closing their door overnight.
Pro Tip: Safety gates aren’t a substitute for supervision, but they do create a structured environment that supports your baby’s development while minimising risk. Choose the right type of gate for each space – pressure-mounted for temporary use, hardware-mounted for high-risk areas.
Preventing Injuries and Accidents
While we do our very best to supervise our children at all times, accidents and injuries are major reasons children end up in emergency departments.
When trying new activities or visiting new places with children, take a careful approach to consider potential risks.
Remember, this advice is not intended to turn every parent into an anxious mess, quite the opposite in fact.
Prevention is the best form of medicine – remain calm in the knowledge that should an accident occur, you are empowered to manage it accordingly.
Do what you can to ‘babyproof’ on-the-go
PINPOINT, PREVENT AND PLAN: This is a way of thinking that helps parents assess the risks associated with new or existing activities or locations. You can teach your kids to start thinking like this too as they grow.
PINPOINT:
- When approaching a new activity or location, identify the potential causes of injury:
- Things like:
- water sources
- livestock in yards
- vehicles
- heights or stairs
- dangerous items in sheds
- equipment around the home
- poisons
- animals.
PREVENT
- Do what you can, to reduce the risks identified above.
- This can be as simple as:
- keeping your infant in the carrier when outside
- making sure there is a life-jacket by water
- wearing closed and grip-shoes in slippery environments
- avoiding particular paths when wet and slippery
- blocking off access to stairs or heights
- reinforcing that children always need to have an adult present around animals.
PLAN
- What’s the action you will take if the prevention measures don’t work?
- Learn CPR and first aid
- Have a well-stocked first aid kit in an easy-to-grab location – maybe invest in more than one and keep them in different areas – the car, the shed, the house, etc.
- Make sure you can communicate wherever you are – by radio, the emergency plus app or mobile phone.
The Pinpoint, Prevent and Plan strategy was developed by the First Aid Specialists at @paeds_firstaid.
