Baby Proofing is next level. It’s probably the #1 thing my husband lead the march on. We did a lot of watching YouTube and deep diving researching different products.
We even donated baby proofing products that didn’t work in our home to places. We basically bought everything. Items like the oven knob covers they didn’t work on our stove, but they will work for someone else. So hey! Worth a shot!
I wanted to start a comprehensive list of baby proofing items that worked for us.
1| Outlet Covers. These sliding outlet covers are the BEST. We bought them for every outlet in the house that the kids could reach, and they have relaxed our nerves. I love they look great, and add an extra level of safety. Buy them. Love them.
2| Door Latches. We had changed out all of our door handles with levers when we moved in. Brass to Matte Black. I picked them because they are pretty, and I was naive to the idea that babies can eventually reach them, and levers are easier to open at 2 ft tall. These door flip latches are easy to install and make it where the kiddos can’t open the door. We have this on our basement door. So it’s not a fire hazard, but the kids can’t go downstairs, and in my “I have watched too many Law&Order episodes” brain, no one can come up the stairs unwanted either. Win. Win. These are called a Flip Action Door Lock and for $3.14 it’s worth it.
3| Baby Gates. Now that Reegan is 3 and Julia is 1, I don’t have these latched ALL the time. Julia can crawl up and down the stairs. BUT when she starts walking, I’ll actually be more nervous because of tumbling. Right now she’s going up and down on her belly, and I’m helicoptering her. I love these gates because they match our stair railings and floors. I also have these on my office door and the door leading to the cat food. They blend with the trim, and I can leave them open or closed. We used these to attach them to the banister without destroying them
4| Cabinet Magnets. Cabinet locks SUCK. These are the best option I have found. They are invisible. They can be left locked or unlocked. They are just easier all around. These have always worked for us, HOWEVER, one of my friends has super strong boys and they just yank the cabinet open. I say they are worth trying. No damage. No risk.
5| Our Fireplace Hearth Cover. I don’t know who designed stone hearths; I get that they are fire-friendly, but holy crap baby’s head and adult shins beware. If you are dealing with a deathly heart, check out our baby-proof fireplace bench DIY.
6| Oven/Stove Knob Covers Our first stove did not fit these Safety 1st covers, so order where you can return. BUT now that they fight in our new house, they are a MUST HAVE. Stove knobs are the perfect height for toddlers reaching above their head, and while they might not be able to catch a spark, they will let that gas run. When Julia (our little) one didn’t in the first time, our gas had been running a few minutes. I smelled it before I knew she had done it. We Amazon Primed these babies. I will not be taking these off for a long time. They are easy to work with and not too clunky or annoying. For roughly $8 bucks, get these ASAP.
Favorite Baby Proofing Products
