When you decide to start a family and find out that you are expecting, there are many things that you need to do to prepare for your new arrival. One very important thing that expecting parents should do is to baby proof their house. There are many things that can be done in every room of your house to assure that it is safe for your new baby, and stays that way as your child grows and begins crawling and walking. While many people choose to hire someone to come in and baby proof their house, it is possible to do it yourself which will help you save a good amount of money. The following tips will help you baby proof every room in your house.

Living/Family Room

• Move all small objects out of baby's reach

• Cover all electrical outlets with caps

• Move all houseplants out of reach

• Tie up any cords on your blinds or drapes to prevent your baby from pulling on them or getting caught in them

• If your living room has a fireplace, put a secure gate in front of it and move fireplace tools out of baby's reach

• Place cushions on the corners of all the sharp edges on counters and tables

• Keep all electrical cords tucked behind furniture and out of baby's reach

Kitchen/Dining Room

• Place childproof latches on all cabinets and cupboard doors and drawers

• Store all cleaning products in an overhead cabinet as opposed to under the sink so if your baby does get past the child proof latches they won't be harmed

• If your baby can reach the knobs on your oven remove them and place in a nearby drawer where they can be easily grabbed for use

• Cover all electrical outlets with caps

• Move all utensils and knives away from the edge of counters so they can't be pulled down

Bathroom

• Make sure there are no locks on bathroom doors so your baby can't lock themselves in

• Install a guard on the bathtub faucet so your baby does not hit their head when taking a bath

• Keep all medications locked in a cabinet out of baby's reach

• Adjust your water heater's temperature so that your baby cannot burn themselves if they figure out how to turn on the water

• Keep the toilet seat down and if your baby can open it, install a latch

• Cover all electrical outlets with caps

• Place all cleaning supplies in an inaccessible cabinet

Bedrooms

• Make sure dresser drawers are closed at all times to keep you baby from climbing in or pulling the dresser down on themselves

• Keep all lamp and appliance cords tucked behind furniture and out of baby's reach

• Cover all electrical outlets with caps

Stairs

• Block you baby's access to stairs by using a baby gate (as your baby gets taller you should adjust the height of the gate)

• If possible you may want to block the hallway that leads to the stairs as opposed to just the stairs themselves as babies have been known to use their body weight to push down baby gates and some babies figure out how to climb over them

Yard

• If you have a pool it is essential to install a safety gate around the perimeter of the pool

• Keep all yard tools locked in a shed or somewhere out of baby's reach

• If possible put a gate around your grill when not in use to keep your baby away

Further resources that will help you babyproof your home.

• Babyproofing Tips – some great tips from Babyzone on proofing your house when your child begins to crawl

• Childproofing – a great in-depth article on childproofing your home and keeping safe for your children

• Babyproofing Guide – a guide to babyproofing your child's nursery, also includes information on childproofing many other rooms in your house

• Safe Home – information on the importance of childproofing your home to prevent household accidents

• Baby Proof By Room – great information that will help you baby proof your home room by room

• Babyproofing and Travel – great tips on how to baby proof your hotel room when traveling with your little one

• Room by Room – some great information from Gerber on baby proofing your house room by room

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