Must-Have Baby Safety Gear: Gates, Outlet Covers & Cabinet Locks

A home should be where children can play and enjoy the space without risking injury or harm. Childproofing a home ensures that children can do this, and it helps new parents feel more confident in giving their children more freedom. Below, we will briefly discuss why childproofing is essential and dive into our must-have baby safety gear list. This will include baby gates, outlet covers, cabinet locks, and more. We’ll discuss safety gear for inside and outside the home. Finally, we’ll wrap up with a quick note regarding baby video monitors and how they can help keep your little one safe.

Baby Safety 101: Understanding Childproofing

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Childproofing is implementing safety measures in a space or home to protect children from harm and injury. When a space is childproofed well, children can play and roam freely. To determine what spaces need childproofing, adults should look for risky elements like sharp corners, open outlets, cabinets with chemicals or harmful substances inside, and more. For example, cabinet locks should be placed on kitchen and bathroom cabinets to keep little ones out of them, especially if cleaning supplies are inside. We’ll discuss must-have baby safety gear below.

Baby Safety Gates: Controlling the Explore Zone

Baby safety gates keep little ones confined within a safe space and away from dangerous areas such as steps. There are a couple of baby gate designs to pick from, including pressure-mounted gates and hardware-mounted gates. Pressure-mounted gates are safe for hallways and general doorways but not stairs, as they can lose pressure and fall. Hardware-mounted gates are secured into the wall to be sturdy and reliable, even when mounted by stairs. Many baby gates must be stepped over, but there are gates with swinging doors that allow adults to open a door and walk through when needed.

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Outlet Covers: A Must-Have Safety Gear

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Outlets are all over the house, typically near the floor where babies crawl and play. Little ones are naturally curious and may put their fingers or toys into outlets, risking electrical shock. To protect children from this risk, there are a few ways that outlets can be covered. Plastic outlet covers stick into the outlet and are difficult for children to pull off themselves. This is the most budget-friendly option. The other option is installing outlet plates with built-in covers and slides that automatically cover the outlet when not in use or can be manually opened and closed.

Cabinet Locks: Securing Hazardous Areas

Cabinet locks protect little hands from getting into cleaning supplies, medicines, and other items that pose a risk to children. Adults can choose from various designs, such as magnetic cabinet locks (opens with a magnetic key), adhesive strap locks (opens by releasing latch), and spring-loaded latch locks (opens with a little bit of strategic pressure), just to name a few. Choosing what style of cabinet locks to use comes down to personal preference.

Other Essential Baby Safety Gear: Furniture Anchors

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Furniture can also pose a risk to children if there’s any chance of tipping. Bookshelves, cabinets, dressers, and televisions that are top-heavy and unstable can easily fall onto a child if they are climbing up or pulling them. Sadly, there have been cases of head trauma, fractures, and even fatalities from tipping incidents, so it’s crucial that your furniture pieces are adequately anchored. Adults can anchor their heavy furniture with straps, mounting hardware, or a tensioning mechanism. Wall studs provide structural support, so it’s important to locate these studs when using hardware to secure your furniture.

Baby Safety in the Kitchen: Appliances Locks and Stove Knob Covers

The kitchen poses a significant risk to young children if not adequately protected with child safety products. There are sharp objects, potential toxins, hot surfaces, and more. To ensure that your baby or toddler is safe in the kitchen, here are some baby safety gear recommendations:

• Cabinet locks. Locking cabinets that contain dangerous substances or sharp objects is essential.
• Cooktop knob covers. Knob covers ensure your child cannot accidentally turn on the cooktop burners.
• Outlet covers. Of course, outlet covers are highly recommended where your child can reach.
• Appliance locks. There are appliance locks that adults can attach to the microwave, dishwasher, refrigerator, and oven, as necessary. Many ovens have a built-in setting to lock the door to prevent your child from opening the door to a hot oven.
• Baby gates. You find it’s better to keep your baby out of the kitchen by securing a baby gate at the space’s entrance.

Safety Gear for the Bathroom

Adults can utilize baby safety gear in the bathroom to protect little ones from slipping, getting into the toilet, and hitting their heads on the bathtub faucet, among other risks. Locks installed on the toilet prevent children from opening them. Soft faucet covers in the bathtub protect kiddos from head injuries, and non-slip mats help them from slipping and sliding around. Young children may not be able to catch themselves quickly enough to prevent a head injury if they slide and fall back.

Windows and Door Safety

Installing window locks is essential to prevent your child from opening a window, leaning out, and accidentally falling from it. Window wedges can be placed in the window track to prevent sliding windows from opening. There are also window locking bars that can be placed in the track that allow the window to be partially open. Adults can purchase door stoppers or knob covers to prevent children from opening doors. Door stoppers are placed at the bottom of the door, and door knob covers surround the knob, allowing adults to turn the knob while making it too difficult for children to do so.

Baby Safety for the Outdoors

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Moving outdoors, baby should be able to safely play in the yard, so some baby safety gear may be necessary. Depending on what hazards are in your yard will help you decide what to purchase. You may need an outdoor play yard that keeps your child safe and enclosed. If you have a water feature such as a pond or pool, it’s imperative to have the proper baby safety gear to prevent accidental drowning. This starts with a reliable and well-built fence surrounding the pool or pond area. Additional baby safety gear is dependent upon your layout and space.

A Quick Word on Baby Monitors

Even though baby monitors are not necessarily considered baby safety gear, video baby monitors are valuable in helping you keep your child safe. With a video monitor, you can quickly check on baby to ensure they are playing safely and not getting into anything they shouldn’t be getting into. Parents can choose to utilize video monitors that only connect to the compatible monitor cameras or purchase baby monitors that connect to Wi-Fi so that baby can be viewed from mom or dad’s smartphone.

Conclusion

To wrap up, essential safety gear for your child includes baby gates, outlet covers, cabinet locks, furniture anchors, and safety gear for the bathroom, kitchen, and bedrooms. Don’t forget your outdoor space! We certainly didn’t cover every baby safety gear item available to parents, but we attempted to cover the significant items that will ensure your child stays away from dangerous areas. The baby safety gear you purchase depends on your space and personal preference. Once you have childproofed your home, you will feel confident allowing your crawling or walking child to roam and play safely.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the most important baby safety gear items?

The most important baby safety gear items for the home include baby gates, outlet covers, cabinet locks, and furniture anchors. Of course, adults can purchase even more baby safety gear items depending on their space and needs.

How do I properly install and use safety gates, outlet covers, and cabinet locks?

Safety gates, outlet covers, and cabinet locks come in various designs, so following the manufacturer’s instructions inside each item’s package is best to ensure you install the gear properly.

Are furniture anchors necessary?

Furniture anchors are necessary for pieces that are top-heavy and unstable. Furniture like bookshelves, dressers, and even televisions should be anchored to the wall so that they can’t potentially fall onto a child trying to climb up on them or pull them down.

What safety gear do I need for the kitchen and bathroom?

Baby safety gear for the kitchen and bathroom includes cabinet locks, cooktop burner locks, appliance locks, and toilet locks. Outlet covers are essential in any room where your child can access them.

How can I ensure outdoor safety for my baby?

To ensure outdoor safety for your baby, take a good look around the space to assess where there are any potential hazards. Water is a considerable risk to children, so if there is nearby water, such as a pond or pool, a secure and reliable gate or fence should surround it to keep baby out.