Parenting Checklists

Childproof Home

Safety measures for every room:

• Install child-resistant covers on all electrical outlets.
• Keep dangerous chemicals out of children's reach.
• For strings and ribbons, follow the six-inch rule.
• Always use a safety belt on your baby when she is sitting in a bouncy seat or a swing.
• Shorten curtain and blind cords.
• Place furniture well away from windows.
• Use corner bumpers on furniture and fireplace-hearth edges.
• Place houseplants out of children's reach.
• Know the names of all plants in case a child eats one of them.
• Keep cigarettes, matches, and lighters out of children's reach.
• Safeguard heating and gas systems against accidents.
• Be sure that furnaces, fireplaces, wood-burning stoves, space heaters, and gas appliances are vented properly.
• Place screened barriers around fireplaces, radiators, and portable space heaters.
• Install carbon-monoxide (CO) alarms outside bedrooms to help prevent CO poisoning.
• Install smoke alarms outside each bedroom and on every level of your home.
• Remove the plastic end caps on doorstops or replace the stops with a one-piece design to prevent choking.
• Consider placing plastic guards along the hinge side of frequently used interior doors to prevent the doors from pinching fingers.
• Safety-proof windows and fire exits.
• Make a fire evacuation plan and practice fire escape routes at least twice a year.
• Keep firearms and ammunition safely locked away.
• Secure unsteady furnishings.
• Avoid household water hazards.
• Test homes built before 1978 for lead paint.
• Learn first aid and CPR.

Hallways and staircases:

• Avoid dark hallways and rugs that slip.
• Safety-proof stairs.
• If possible, install carpeting on stairways to protect from falls.

Kids' rooms:

• Position your child's crib away from all drapery, electrical cords, and windows.
• Make sure the crib meets national safety standards.
• Make sure the mattress fits snugly.
• Be sure the crib sheet fits snugly.
• If you use a crib bumper, make sure it's firm (not fluffy) and secured tightly with at least six ties.
• Remove mobiles and other hanging toys from the crib as soon as your child can reach up and touch them.
• Place infants under one year on their backs to sleep.
• Never use an electric blanket in the bed or crib of a small child or infant.
• Place night-lights at least three feet away from the crib, bedding, and draperies to prevent fires.
• Always use a safety belt on your infant when you have her on a changing table, and never leave her unattended.
• Provide padding for falls.
• Check age labels for appropriate toys.
• Be vigilant about choking hazards.
• Use side railings for children just getting used to "big kid" beds.
• If bedrooms are on second or third stories, be sure to have a fire-escape ladder in each room.

Bathroom:

• Put a lock on the medicine cabinet.
• To prevent poisoning, lock away all vitamins and medicines.
• Install toilet-lid locks to prevent drowning.
• Lower the household water temperature.
• Always test the water first before bathing a child.
• Make sure bathtubs and showers aren't slippery.
• Use electrical appliances carefully.
• Install ground-fault circuit interrupters on outlets near sinks and bathtubs.
• Never leave a young child alone in the bathroom.

Kitchen:

• Keep knives, cleaning supplies, and plastic bags out of children's reach.
• To avoid fires and burns, never leave cooking food unattended.
• If stove knobs are easily accessible to children, use protective covers to prevent kids from turning them.
• Teach your kids how to respond to fire.
• When they're not in use, unplug electrical appliances.
• Replace any frayed cords and wires.
• Keep chairs and step stools away from counters and the stove.
• Keep activated charcoal (helps absorb some poisons) and syrup of ipecac (used to induce vomiting) on hand.
• Beware of foods that children can choke on.

Yard:

• Store tools, garden, and lawn-care equipment and supplies in a locked closet or shed.
• Don't use a power mower to cut the lawn when young children are around.
• Don't allow children to play on a treated lawn for at least 48 hours following an application of a fertilizer or a pesticide.
• Know the types of trees on the property in the event children ingest berries, leaves, or other plant life.
• If you have a swimming pool, install a fence (with an automatic childproof gate) that separates the house from the pool.
• When you barbecue outdoors, never leave kids unattended around the grill.
• Store propane grills where children cannot reach the knobs.

Other resources for childproofing your home:

• To find outlet covers, cord shorteners, cabinet latches, and toilet-lid locks, check with your local hardware store.
• For consumer-product and home-safety information, contact the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.
• For details about child and home safety, contact the National Safe Kids Campaign.
• For information about child lead poisoning, read the "Lead Hazard Information" pamphlet from the department of Housing and Urban Development.
• For information about safe drinking water, contact the Environmental Protection Agency's Office of Water.