The moment your kid starts crawling, your home transforms from a safe haven into an obstacle course of hazards. Electrical outlets, cabinet chemicals, sharp corners, heavy furniture — it's all fair game to a curious crawler. I put together this complete room-by-room baby proofing plan so you can get ahead of it before your little one starts treating danger like a hobby.
When to Start
Start baby proofing at 4-5 months — before they're mobile. Once crawling starts, you're playing defense. Block out one weekend and do the entire house. Trust me, you do not want to be scrambling to install cabinet locks while your 9-month-old is already halfway into the cleaning supplies.
Kitchen — The Danger Zone
The kitchen is ground zero. I tested pretty much every lock and cover on the market, and here's what actually works:
Magnetic cabinet locks — Install these on every lower cabinet, especially under the sink where chemicals live. They're invisible from the outside and genuinely toddler-proof. Worth every penny.
Stove knob covers — Kids love turning knobs. These covers prevent accidental gas or burner activation. Non-negotiable.
Drawer latches — The silverware drawer and any junk drawer with scissors need locks. Learned that one the fun way.
Appliance cords — Push toasters, coffee makers, and slow cookers away from edges. Cord shorteners keep things tidy and out of reach.
Trash can lock — Get a locking lid or move the trash behind a locked cabinet. Otherwise it becomes their favorite toy.
Living Room — The Playground
This is where they spend most of their time, which means it needs the most attention after the kitchen.
Furniture anchors — Anchor all bookshelves, dressers, and TVs to the wall with anti-tip straps. This is non-negotiable. Tip-overs are one of the leading causes of child injuries at home. I anchored everything in one afternoon.
Corner guards — Coffee tables and fireplace hearths get soft corner bumpers. Your kid's forehead will thank you.
Outlet covers — Every unused outlet gets a plug cover or a sliding plate cover. Sliding plates are harder for kids to defeat than the cheap plug caps.
Cord management — Blind cords, lamp cords, and charger cables should be completely out of reach. Zip ties and cord clips are your friends.
Baby gate — Block stairways with hardware-mounted gates. Do not use pressure-mounted gates at the top of stairs. That's a disaster waiting to happen.
Bathroom — Lock It Down
The bathroom has more hazards per square foot than anywhere else in the house. Get serious in here.
Toilet lock — Kids are fascinated by toilets. A lock prevents drowning risk and what I'll politely call science experiments.
Medicine cabinet — Lock it or move all medications to a high shelf behind a locked door. No exceptions.
Non-slip bath mat — Inside and outside the tub. Slippery surfaces plus toddlers is a bad equation.
Faucet cover — A soft spout cover prevents head bumps during bath time. Simple fix, real results.
Door handle cover — Keep them out of the bathroom entirely when unsupervised.
Bedrooms
Don't let the bedrooms fool you — they've got their own hazards.
Dresser anchors — Every dresser, bookshelf, and tall furniture piece gets anchored to the wall. Kids climb dressers like they're training for the Olympics.
Blind cord safety — Switch to cordless blinds or use cord cleats mounted high. Blind cords are a serious strangulation risk.
Window locks — Install stops that don't allow windows to open more than 4 inches. Simple, cheap, important.
Dad's Baby Proofing Shopping List
Here's what I actually bought and installed across the whole house:
Magnetic cabinet locks (12+ pack) — Kitchen and bathrooms
Furniture anchors (6+ straps) — Every room with tall furniture
Outlet covers (20+ pack) — Every room
Corner guards (8+ pack) — Living room and kitchen
Baby gates (2-3) — Stairs and kitchen entry
Toilet locks — All bathrooms
Door handle covers — Bathroom and any off-limits rooms
Non-slip bath mats — Every bathroom
Cord shorteners and cable clips — Kitchen and living room
Window stops — Every bedroom and living room window
The One-Weekend Game Plan
Saturday morning: hit the kitchen and living room. Saturday afternoon: bathrooms. Sunday morning: bedrooms and any remaining rooms. Sunday afternoon: walk the whole house on your hands and knees — literally get down to their level and look for anything you missed. After 3 weekends of trial and error with my own kids, that final crawl-through caught stuff I never would have spotted standing up. Do it once, do it right, and you'll actually be able to relax when your kid starts exploring.
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