Baby-Proofing Your Home: A Room-by-Room Checklist

Babies become mobile faster than most parents expect — often somewhere between 6 and 10 months. The best time to baby-proof is before that first crawl, so your home is already safe when curiosity kicks in. Here's a practical room-by-room checklist.

Living room

• Anchor tall furniture (bookshelves, TV units) to the wall — a leading cause of preventable home injuries is furniture tip-overs.
• Cover sharp coffee-table corners with cushioned guards, or temporarily move low glass-top tables out of the main play area.
• Bundle and secure loose cables and extension cords out of reach — and cover unused power sockets.
• Check for small choking hazards at floor level: coins, button batteries, remote-control batteries, and small toy parts from older siblings.

Kitchen

• Use stove knob covers and turn pot handles inward when cooking.
• Store cleaning chemicals, detergents and dishwasher tablets in a high cabinet — not under the sink — or use childproof latches.
• Keep a stair gate or playpen handy to keep little ones out of the kitchen while you're cooking.

Bathroom

• Never leave baby unattended in or near water, even for a few seconds — including buckets and pails common in many MY/SG bathrooms.
• Set your water heater to a safe temperature (around 49°C or below) to prevent scalding.
• Store medicines, vitamins and toiletries in a locked cabinet, well above reach.

Bedroom & nursery

• Follow safe-sleep guidelines — firm mattress, no loose bedding, cot rails spaced correctly.
• Install cordless blinds or tie cords well out of reach to prevent strangulation hazards.
• Secure changing tables against the wall and never leave baby unattended on raised surfaces.

Balcony, windows & gates

• Fit window guards or locks — especially important for high-rise apartments common across MY and SG.
• Never place climbable furniture (chairs, stools, storage boxes) near windows or balcony railings.
• Use stair gates at the top and bottom of staircases.

Do a "crawl test"

Get down on your hands and knees and look at each room from your baby's eye level. You'll spot hazards — dangling cords, small objects, sharp edges — that are easy to miss from adult height. Re-check every few months as your baby grows and starts reaching, pulling up, and eventually walking.