Parents' Guide to Childproofing Your Home: 8 Tips to Protect Your Kids

Creating a safe space to grow up in.

It’s a fact of life that your home pre- and post-kids will look and feel very different. Things you’d usually never think much about – like corners and cabinets – can suddenly feel like potential safety hazards.

So, childproofing your home will go a long way to not only keep your home safe for the kiddos, but to give you some peace of mind. Here’s how to go about doing so:

1. Minimise sharp edges with rounded edges or corner guards

If you’ve been following interior design trends, you’ll know that curved edges and surfaces are in right now. Aside from aesthetic reasons, they also minimise sharp edges soften corners, and lower the risk of painful bumps and knocks (especially important for kids who are around cabinet height).

If you’ve already renovated your home, don’t worry – rather than re-renovating, you can simply purchase things like corner guards or anti-collision panels to soften existing sharp corners and add an additional layer of protection.

While not as aesthetically pleasing, the transparent design do make them less conspicuous – and of course, safety will always come first!

2. Opt for soft(er), non-slip flooring

Kids are rambunctious creatures who can turn every space into their personal jungle gym – and while cute, all this movement will also come with the inevitable slip and fall.

As such, choosing flooring that can not only minimise tumbles but also cushion impact is key. Examples include vinyl and laminate flooring, both of which also have the advantage of being easy to clean and maintain in the event of spills and stains.

If changing your flooring isn’t practical at this point, you can also purchase rugs or play mats with non-slip backing to keep the space safe without undergoing a full renovation.

3. Box up or conceal wires/sockets as much as possible

Most kids wouldn’t be able to resist the chance to chew on a loose wire or jam their tiny fingers into an unused socket – so before that happens, you’ll need to make sure that these electrical bits are either covered or out of reach.

For wires, either keep them enclosed in their casings or hide them under/behind furniture away from prying fingers. For sockets, consider outlet covers and stickers – they cover up any exposed parts, and are relatively inexpensive and easy to buy online.

4. Keep windows safe with grilles, restrictors, and/or insect mesh

With the majority of homeowners in Singapore living in high-rise buildings, one of the biggest nightmares parents have is for their child to climb or fall out of the window when they aren’t looking.

That’s why you should install proper safety measures for your windows. Window grilles are, of course, the most secure option, but if you prefer something visually light, restrictors can limit how wide windows open, while insect mesh act as a barrier that prevents your child from getting a proper grip.

Obviously, these measures shouldn’t be a means to replace supervision entirely, but they do help in keeping your little ones safe while giving you peace of mind.

5. Secure cabinets and wardrobes with child-proof locks

Compared to windows, cabinets and wardrobes seem deceptively safe… until you think about the products you keep inside, like fragile plates, cleaning products, or sharp objects.

That’s where childproof locks come in. Fitting them onto lower cabinets and easy-to-reach drawers will go a long way in keeping potentially dangerous items out of your kid’s tiny hands, while still letting you access them when needed.

6. Choose soft-closing or push-to-close mechanisms

Your kids’ tiny fingers can easily get caught in between doors and cabinets when shut, which can cause swelling or, touch wood, broken bones.

Fortunately, the invention of mechanisms like soft-closing hinges is precisely meant to reduce the risk of injury when shutting the door. Additionally, push-to-close doors – a relatively new feature – are something else worth considering, since they won’t be able to accidentally slam shut.

7. Avoid loose furnishings with topple risks

As if there aren’t enough risks at home, your furniture can be a potential safety hazard too – particularly those that can be easily toppled, like a standing mirror or TV stand that can come crashing down with a simple nudge.

So, as nice as they look, it’s best to avoid such furniture when you have a kid (or kids) in tow. If you’re working around your existing furniture, you can secure it against the wall with furniture anchors that prevent it from moving or falling over.

8. Use low-VOC paint and furniture

More and more homeowners are more conscious about VOC and formaldehyde emissions – which, in high concentrations, can cause you (and your kids) to fall ill repeatedly.

The good news is, there are now tons of environmentally-safe products out there that are formulated to produce little to no VOC emissions that ensure your air remains clean. Products include:

• Low/no-VOC paints (e.g. gush or the Eco Spec line from Benjamin Moore)
• Carpentry made with formaldehyde-free/low formaldehyde plywood and eco-friendly laminates (you can ask your ID about the type of wood they use)
• Eco-friendly furniture made with solid wood (not composite wood boards, which tend to use formaldehyde-heavy adhesives), metal, glass, or untreated fabrics

Explore: What is Formaldehyde, Why It’s a Problem and How to Solve It