Baby-proof and Toddler-proof Your Home

May 15, 2012 - PRLog -- First, do not place any furniture near a window.  Toddlers can easily climb on furniture and access an open window and push through a window screen.  Child safety advocate, Michael Pouls, further warns, “Not only do parents need to avoid placing furnishings near windows, but considering that children will climb on anything, make sure all heavy furniture is tethered to the wall.  This way, they cannot accidentally pull a piece of furniture over and get crushed under its weight.”

Next, though many families have moved toward eco-friendly reusable bags, plastic bags (such as grocery bags) are still very prevalent and pose a suffocation hazard.  Michael Pouls suggests that, “If your household saves plastic bags to reuse, store them in a cabinet with a child-proof safety latch.”

While outlet covers are commonly used by most households with small children, many parents do not use toilet locks.  Michael Pouls explains that, “Just like a bathtub poses a risk of drowning, so too does a toilet.  A child might drop something in the toilet, reach in to grab it, and fall forward into the toilet, unable to get out on his/her own.”  Additionally, household faucets pose not only a drowning hazard but also a scalding hazard.  Michael Pouls warns that, “Children should never have unsupervised access to the faucets in your home, and water heaters should be set to no higher than 120 degrees.”

Most parents are aware that old refrigerators pose a suffocation hazard because children have climbed into them to play, only to get stuck inside without any way out.  Consider the similar risks a toy chest poses.  To address this risk, remove all lids, or at a minimum, drill ventilation holes in the back and sides of all toy chests.  This not only to enables air circulation, but also will help you hear the cry of a young child who might have inadvertently gotten stuck inside.  

Garbage cans and recycling containers are often filled with sharp objects that could cut a child (such as opened cans) as well as dangerous substances that your child might try to ingest.  Make sure your cans & containers are in a secure location, such as cabinet with a child-proof safety latch.

And finally, don’t forget to address the risks outside the home as well.  For example many plants, both indoor and outdoor, are poisonous if ingested.  “Not only that, but decorative stones and mulch pose a choking hazard for young children,” explains Michael Pouls.


Childproofing is an ongoing job because your family’s needs will change as your child gets older.  Michael Pouls suggests that, ”every six months, when you change the batteries in your smoke detectors, get down on your child’s level and see what additional risks you can address.”  

For other child safety tips, please visit michaelpouls.info.