Baby-proofing your home

Has your baby found their legs recently?

Are they running around at full speed, exploring their surroundings and trying to open every door, cabinet and draw?

You’ve probably started putting obstacles in their way to ensure their safety, but if you’re one of the many Aussies who live in a rental home, it can be a challenge to find safe temporary ways to keep little hands out of harm’s way, says Mortgage Choice.

Even if you’re not renting, ask yourself if you really want holes in your walls after your kids are past the younger, more destructive years.

Here are some great ways to child proof your home that doesn’t involve putting holes in your walls. Identify safety issues

Walk through your home and identify any potential hazards you need to address — exposed power cords, curtains and blind cords etc.

If you’re a first-time parent, it might be a good idea to enlist a friend who’s been through this to help you spot hazards.

You may want to consider getting down to your child’s level (literally) by crawling through rooms — you’ll be surprised by what you didn’t notice. Close the gate

There are plenty of pressure-mounted gates on the market that you can purchase to block off access to certain rooms in the house.

These gates work using natural pressure, so you don’t have to drill holes into the wall.

You should be able to easily manoeuvre the gates into position at the top and bottom of stairs without needing to screw them in.

Other spaces to consider blocking access to are kitchens, entertainment rooms, your home office, laundry and bathrooms. Keep a close eye on blinds

When you have a toddler, one thing you should do is make sure windows are hard to access.

Try keeping chairs and easily climbable furniture away from windows and balconies.

Windows should only be able to open about eight centimetres, or fitted with a window guard.

Just as open windows could present a hazard, so too can blind cords as they can become easily tangled around your child who may see it as a fun rope to swing on.

If you have blind cords, make sure to tie them up to keep them out of reach. Cover the plugs

Plastic outlet plug covers are any easy way to keep tiny fingers away from electricity. Lock all doors There are a range of door and cupboard locks and latches that can easily be installed and removed by you, and not your child.

Better yet, these locks do not need to be drilled in place.

A google search will give you an idea as to what products are on the market. Baby proofing services

If you’re not on a tight budget, there are companies you can hire to baby proof your home for you.

They are experts who have seen it all and know exactly what to look for.