As the parent of a young child, you may love watching your baby grow into a toddler. Unfortunately, all that crawling and rolling around can be a safety hazard as your child starts getting into things. Follow this babyproofing checklist to get your apartment up-to-speed with your child’s newfound mobility.

  1. Set up baby gates: Prime places to restrict access include the stairs, bathrooms, kitchen, laundry room, and anywhere else that could pose a threat to your toddler.
  2. Cover the electrical outlets: All floor-level outlets are a safety hazard with little kids around, so install baby-safe outlet covers. The most convenient style slides to the side so you can plug in gadgets without having to remove the cover completely.
  3. Create safe play areas: Empty any low shelves of picture frames, knickknacks, and fragile items. Then, stock them with storybooks, building blocks, and plush toys. This creates a safe exploratory station that lets you breathe easy.
  4. Remove or cover sharp corners: Add bumper guards to tables, shelves, and countertops. You might even want to swap out rectangular coffee and end tables for round versions.
  5. Install baby locks on cabinets and drawers: Easy-to-install baby locks prevent your curious child from getting into the cleaning chemicals and sharp tools you store in the kitchen.
  6. Move houseplants: Some of the most beautiful houseplants are poisonous if ingested. Even if your plants are safe, do you really want to risk having dirt spread all over your floor? Avoid safety hazards and a potential mess by relocating houseplants to out-of-reach shelves or ceiling-mounted hooks.
  7. Anchor your furniture: Dressers, bookshelves, display cabinets, and TVs are easier to knock over than you think. Purchase mounting kits to secure them to the wall so you don’t have to worry about your child’s safety.
  8. Assess your window coverings: Now may be the perfect time to upgrade to cordless blinds. You may also want to swap out floor-length curtains for decorative valences.
  9. Install toilet seat locks: Kids like to flush the weirdest things down the toilet. Prevent a plumbing nightmare by installing simple seat locks on every toilet.
  10. Install knob guards on the oven: Prevent your toddler from messing with front-mounted stovetop controls by covering them with knob guards.
  11. Relocate pet dishes: You don’t want your baby eating the dog’s food or playing in the water bowl. To prevent this, find a creative place to put the pet dishes where your child can’t find them or pack up the bowls after your dog’s mealtime.

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