It’s an exciting milestone watching your baby learn how to crawl. Most babies begin to crawl between 6 and 12 months and for many the crawling stage doesn’t last long, before you know it they start pulling themselves up and without warning they’re off. Some babies skip the crawling stage altogether and go straight to pulling themselves up, even walking with support from furniture. Before you know it you’ll find yourself longing for the days when they just stayed in one place!

While an exciting time for you and your baby, it’s also a time when your home becomes a wonderland of discoveries and dangers. Items that may seem boring and uninteresting to you are incredibly exciting to a newly mobile baby. It’s the thrill of the unknown and unchartered territories. They are only just learning about the world and all that’s in it so therefore don’t have the knowledge in terms of their own safety as we do. The way they explore objects at this stage usually results in items going straight into the mouth, especially when teething.

It’s enough to drive fear into the most prepared of parents, but by making sure you’re ready before they’re ready you can also enjoy this special time with your newest little explorer.

We’ve complied a checklist below of what you can do before baby crawls to ensure the safety of your home and your child.

CHILDPROOFING CHECK LIST:

Point of View. Get down low and view your home at the eye level of your baby. What is within reach that could be a potential danger and needs to be moved up to a higher location? Consider items such as cords that can become a teething toy, and plants that could become a snack with fertilizer in them. You would be surprised just how many hazards you find when lying low.

Cabinets. Install properly functioning safety latches and locks on cabinet doors and drawers, especially those containing cleaning products, medicines, knives, matches, or other items that could harm your baby. The National Safety Council also advises putting other hazardous items, like batteries and firearms, be well out of the reach of your curious baby. You can also install child safety gates in the entrances of areas to be deemed off limits, and with baby gate extensions available we can fit most door frames.

Faucets. It may seem unlikely to you that your baby could reach a faucet but it happens more often that we would like to think. Invest in anti-scald devices placed on your faucets to prevent burns from hot water. You can also adjust your home’s hot water heater temperature for added safety.

Windows and Coverings. Dangling cords from a set of blinds or curtains are a tempting object for your baby to grab onto, but this can become a strangulation hazard. Try placing a hook on the wall to secure or tie your cords up to ensuring they are out of reach of your child or baby.  Also make sure you never leave a window wide open when your baby is in a room. You can install window guards that allow you to open the window for air while still being protected and move any furniture away from a window that a baby or child could climb up onto.

Stairs. A sturdy installed baby safety gate is a must-have, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, as it can keep a baby from tumbling down a set of stairs. Gates should be at both the top and bottom of stairs which is why Perma Child Safety Gates come in two packs. If possible, avoid pressure-mounted gates as these can be knocked out of place, secure a hardware mounted baby gate that screw into the wall as a safer option.

Electrical outlets. Buy outlet covers and install them in all your outlets to keep curious fingers out. Any opening can find itself

Sharp corners. Your coffee table may be beautiful, but if it has sharp corners, it’s also dangerous. Foam corner and edge protectors can make your furniture safer for your baby on the go. Perma Child Safety have foam protectors that are both practical and stylish. Check them out here.

Heavy objects and furniture. Install anchors to secure items such as televisions, bookshelves, and any other heavy objects that could pose as a topple hazards. Once crawling it won’t take long for your little one to start pulling themselves up eager to walk and they’ll grab hold of the closest items to them to achieve their goal. Hat racks, chairs and everything in between could accidently be pulled on top of your baby if not properly supervised.

Baby crib height. Ensure your baby’s cot is secured at the right level. Crib height usually depends on your baby’s age, and abilities. Newborns or babies who are younger than 5 months old require the crib level to be at his highest as they cannot sit up and can generally sleep safely. Once a baby can sit up or push up onto their hands and knees, showing signs of pulling to stand, you should lower the crib to the bottom level.