How to Make Your Home Safe for Kids

There are a lot of things to remember when you have children. From keeping your diaper bag stocked with essentials to ensuring they’re getting adequate nutrients, being a parent can sometimes be overwhelming. It becomes even more challenging when you realize your once quiet and snuggly baby is now a rambunctious toddler who wants to get into everything.

What can you do? Making sure your home is safe for your kids, especially busy one- and two-year-olds, is key.

Below, you will discover some of my top tips for creating a safe and secure home for your children.

1. Keep Toxic Products Out of Reach

One of the first steps towards a safe house is to store all toxic products out of reach. The two most important places to do this are in the kitchen and bathroom, where items like cleansers, bleach, soaps, and other harmful products are often kept. Hand sanitizers, frequently left out these days, can also pose a toxic risk. The trash bins in every room are potentially dangerous places for items like sharp objects and even batteries. Also important to consider are alcohol and tobacco products, including e-cigarette refills.

The easiest thing to do is move these items to an upper cabinet that can’t be reached. If you simply don’t have the space to do this, you can also opt for cabinet locks. There are many different styles, from magnetic to velcro, spring-action to slide. All are great options. It’s more of a personal preference which type you choose.

Most poisonings in the home setting are related to medications, and that includes vitamins and supplements, which many people leave out as a reminder to take them. Not only is it important to make sure they are stored out of reach at all times, but it is also essential to warn babysitters and visiting family members who might carry them in their purse or bag. Ensure that all medications are in child-resistant packaging (many vitamins and supplements are not) and avoid calling medicine “candy.”

Keep the poison control center phone number readily available. Many pediatric offices give out refrigerator magnets for quick access in emergency situations.

2. Install Safety Gates

Another must-have for your home are baby gates. These gates are ideal for keeping your child away from safety hazards, such as staircases, kitchens, or bathrooms. Gates for fireplaces can be used for fireplace protection. Other gates can be used to protect kids from holiday trees or other items that should be off-limits.

There are a few different options for safety gates.

Baby gates for stairs – These are specifically designed to install securely at the top or bottom of the staircase (or both). They will have a small door where parents can enter and leave as necessary. Don’t worry—your young one won’t be able to open it.
Retractable gates – Ideal for areas where traditional, firm gates won’t fit, retractable gates function like a roll-up window shade. The plastic mesh will allow you to pull out as much as you need to fill up the space before being secured.
Pressure-mounted gates – These gates are great for those who don’t want to drill into the wall. They rely on pressure between two surfaces, such as in-between the walls of a doorway or staircase, to secure.
Hardware-mounted gates – On the other hand, hardware-mounted gates require drilling or screwing to secure them in place. Many find these gates more reliable as they can’t be nudged around.
Gates with pet doors – Just because you want to keep your kid out doesn’t mean you don’t want your pet to roam free. Gates designed specifically with pet doors will allow freedom for your pet while restricting your kiddo.
Extra tall gates – For those that want added security, a taller gate is key. They are designed to extend higher than traditional models, which is great for certain locations or those with older or taller children.
Extra wide gates – These gates are specifically constructed to be wider than other options on the market and are ideal for wider openings.

3. Create a Safe Place for Playing

Now that you know the best way to block off an area—such as a playroom—it’s time to take a closer look at how to create a perfectly safe place for your child to play. However, keep in mind that even with precautions, children should be supervised at all times.

Cover electrical outlets – Socket covers are essential for creating a safe home and playroom for kids.

Keep cords, blinds, and other hazards away – Anything that could potentially strangle your child should not be kept in the playroom.

Secure big pieces of furniture to the wall – Plenty of playrooms have TV stands, bookshelves, and other kid-friendly items. When toddlers use them to pull to a stand or older children attempt to climb them, they can be extremely hazardous. Anchor them securely to the wall or floor so your child can’t pull them down.

Buy age-appropriate toys. If your child is one year of age, they shouldn’t be playing with toys made for a three-year-old. This is mostly due to potential choking hazards.

4. Keep the Floor Clean

Children like to put things in their mouths. Ensuring that all toys are picked up will help to avoid this. Also, it will keep your child from stumbling and potentially hurting themselves—and you, too!

Once small things have been picked off the floor, you can use a robotic vacuum cleaner (we like the iRobot Roomba). If you’re looking for a vacuum for hardwood floors, consider a robot mop (we like Xiomi’s Roborock). They are not perfect at mopping, but they vacuum well and will wipe off your floor.

If you don’t have a large budget for it, the Roomba 614 is fairly basic and cheap. It won’t be as good as the latest models, but will get the job done.

5. Keep Your Child’s Sleeping Area Safe

Just as you need to keep the play area safe, your child’s sleeping area needs some attention to make sure it is also safe. The American Academy of Pediatrics policy statement lists recommendations for keeping your child’s sleeping environment safe. Here are some of the best ways to do it.

Keep your child’s crib or bed clear – This is especially important before the one-year mark. There should be no blankets, teddy bears, toys, or other items in the crib.

Use a firm mattress – Your child doesn’t need a luxurious mattress, at least right now. A mattress that doesn’t indent too much, creating a smothering risk, is the safest choice for your child.

Use baby monitors – It’s important to keep an eye on your child, whether or not you’re in the same room. There are a few options for monitors of different types, depending on your situation:

- Audio monitors – These monitors rely on sound signals only. No visuals are provided. These can be helpful when you are just in the other room and want to hear when your baby wakes up.
- Video monitors – As the name suggests, this option pairs a camera with a video monitor. If you are concerned about making sure your baby doesn’t roll over or your toddler doesn’t try to climb out, these can be more helpful.
- Movement monitors – Rather than simply playing audio, visual, or both, movement monitors detect when your child moves and sends an alert
- Breathing monitors – This specific monitor type tracks your child’s breathing. If the pattern changes or stops completely, an alert is given right away.
- Long range monitors – These are especially useful in large homes. They will allow you to hear and see your baby even if your home is too big for the usual monitor range.

6. Adjust Your Hot Water Settings

Hot water settings are set at unsafe levels in 41% of American homes. Avoid the potential for scalding injuries by setting your water heater thermostat to no more than 120°F. This will allow you to fill the tub with a safer temperature, such as 98 degrees, and makes a burn while the water is running much less damaging to the skin.

Speaking of bathwater, make sure your child is never left alone in the tub. Accidents can—and do—happen. Even though they should be using a baby seat or baby tub inside of your tub, that doesn’t mean that they are safe without continuous supervision.

7. Keep Windows and Doors Guarded

Kids are pretty crafty. Even if you don’t think they’ll be able to open your windows, it doesn’t mean they won’t end up doing it. The easiest way to keep your windows safe is to install some type of locking mechanism. There are keyed locks, window latches, window guards, hinged wedge locks, and many more.

For added security, installing sensors on all windows and doors is recommended. These sensors will sound off every time a window or door is open, which keeps parents alert of any would-be runaway situations or break-ins.

Experts recommend keeping furniture away from windows so children can’t climb up and reach them.

8. Adhere to Pool Safety Rules

If you live in a home with a pool, you need to consider specific safety precautions to keep your child safe.

Whether you have an in-ground or above-ground pool, it is recommended to install fencing around the pool. Studies have shown that pool fences are most effective when they enclose all sides of the pool and keep it completely separate from the house. Again, this all comes down to kids being crafty and finding their way outside in a blink of an eye. Many states require a child safety fence around pools in homes where children under a certain age reside. Check into your state’s regulations for specific enclosure and age requirements. Experts recommend having layers of protection with additional barriers provided by locks or alarms on doors going out to the pool area and pool safety covers.

If you take your child out for a swim, make sure they wear sunscreen and that it is reapplied frequently. Make sure they do not run around or roughhouse near the edge of the pool. Never take your eyes off of your child while they are swimming or anywhere near water. Even if they use a floatie device to keep them secure, you need to pay continuous attention.

Final Words

Making your home safe for your kids is one of the most important things you can do as a parent. It starts with rearranging your cabinets to keep harmful and toxic products out of reach. From there, focus on blocking off unsafe places with baby gates, creating a safe place to play, sleep, and bathe, and ensuring the home is locked down to keep your children out of harm’s way.