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GuideLittle ones explore with their hands and mouths and move faster than you'd believe, so childproofing is about getting ahead of them. You don't need to do everything at once — focus on the highest-risk hazards first, then work room by room. Here's a practical guide to making your home safe as your child grows.
Some dangers matter most: anchor furniture and TVs to the wall (tip-overs are a leading cause of child injury), secure medications, cleaning products and chemicals out of reach and locked away, cover electrical outlets, and install gates at the top and bottom of stairs. These few fixes address the most serious risks first.
Tall or unstable furniture — dressers, bookshelves, TVs — can tip over when a child climbs or pulls on them, with tragic results. Anchor them to the wall with proper anti-tip hardware, put heavy items on lower shelves, and mount TVs securely. This is one of the single most important childproofing steps.
These rooms hold the most hazards. Lock away cleaning products, chemicals and sharp objects; use stove knob covers and turn pot handles inward; keep hot drinks away from edges. In bathrooms, lock up medications and razors, never leave a child unattended near water, and set the water heater to a safe temperature to prevent scalds.
Install safety gates at stairs, add window guards or stops so windows can't open wide enough for a child to fall (screens don't stop falls), and use door-knob covers or locks on rooms and exits you want to keep off-limits. Cordless window coverings are safest — looped cords are a strangulation hazard.
Keep small objects, button batteries, magnets and anything that fits through a toilet-paper tube out of reach — choking and swallowing hazards are serious. Tie up or shorten cords, cover sharp furniture corners, and get down to your child's eye level to spot hazards you'd otherwise miss.
Much of childproofing is DIY, but anchoring furniture securely, installing gates and guards properly, mounting TVs, and adjusting the water heater can be handed to a handyman or pro for a guaranteed-secure result. On Genie you can book vetted, background-checked pros for the installation and safety work, at an upfront price.
Every task in this guide is something you can book on Genie — vetted, insured pros at an upfront price:
Anchoring furniture and TVs to the wall — tip-overs are a leading cause of child injury. Along with securing medications and chemicals, covering outlets, and gating stairs, it addresses the highest risks first.
Lock away cleaning products, chemicals and sharp objects, use stove knob covers, turn pot handles inward, and keep hot drinks away from edges. Set the water heater to a safe temperature to prevent scalds.
No — screens don't stop falls. Install window guards or stops so windows can't open wide enough for a child to fall through, and use cordless window coverings to avoid strangulation hazards.
