Electrical sockets, cords and cupboards oh, my! These are just a few things that need to be addressed when your little one starts getting around. Reaching the crawling/scooting stage is such a blast, but you need to be prepared for it before curiosity ends in disaster. Child proofing your home isn’t difficult as long as you know what needs to be done. So to get started, grab a note pad and pen and hit the floor on all fours!

The easiest way to find potential dangers to your little one is to get down on their level, literally. Yes, the outlets and baby gates are a given, but what about the things that aren’t so obvious? Do you have standing book shelves? If they aren’t attached to the wall somehow, this can be very dangerous to a child using it to pull themselves up into a standing position. Sadly, I’ve seen this one happen at a friend’s house. Take a look behind your entertainment center. Would your little one be able to reach the cords back there? What about the kitchen? One of the most common places people keep their cleaning supplies is under the kitchen sink and unless there are locks on your cupboards, it won’t take long for your little one to figure out to open the doors.

Once you have finished jotting down your findings of potential dangers, you need to make a plan. While most of us are not fortunate enough to afford a baby proofing professional to come and do the job for us, you can still purchase baby proofing kits at any store that sells baby supplies. These kits generally come with cupboard latches, outlet plugs, multipurpose latches and door knob covers. There are a few different types of cupboard latches because all cupboards are different. Make sure you bring the right ones home. I have messed this particular part up too many times. Fortunately, it has taught me to keep track of receipts a little better.

Not included in the safety kit but you may consider picking up is soft safety edging. If you have a coffee table in your living room that you don’t want to get rid of just because baby is getting around, this is a great solution to solid corners. The soft edging wraps around the table and clips into place. Generally it only comes in white and can look a little tacky. The other thing to keep in mind before purchase is that you are still going to have corners on the coffee table and it won’t be padded to the point of completely preventing injury. It will soften the blow a bit, but fat lips could still be in your future. I do have a coffee table and choose not to use the padding. With all the kids running around I’ve only had one bust a lip and it wasn’t that big of a deal.

Baby proofing your home is to help keep your little out of harm’s way. It is not intended to be a replacement to your watchful eye. No matter how many safety precautions you take, accidents are going to happen. It’s part of growing up.