When's the best time to begin child proofing your home? Although your newborn's not crawling yet, the time will come sooner than you think, and if you wait till then you can find yourself scrambling to make sure your baby will be safe. This is definitely one of those cases where an ounce of prevention equals a pound of cure.

A walk through the baby department of a store will surely make you wonder how you ever made it through babyhood. There are safety devices for everything, many of which didn't exist when you were a baby. There is a danger, then, of two opposite ends of extreme thinking. 1) They didn't have these things when I was growing up and I made it; or 2) There's danger lurking behind every corner. The key is to provide safety for your children, while not becoming paralyzed with fear. Yes, there are dangers in the home, but they can be dealt with by using some common sense, coupled with some simple safety devices.

Common Sense

Here the powers of observation are critical. Take a slow, observant walk through your home and notice everything with a new eye - a baby's eye. Are there items in the room which may topple over if your crawling baby tries to lift herself up, such as a bookshelf? Perhaps you might think of securing the bookshelf to the wall. Are there heavy objects on shelves which might tumble down in the event of some tugging? Are there cords hanging from window treatments which might pose a threat? Or cords from appliances on desks and shelves which the baby might pull? Can your television be pulled over?

Where will the baby's crib be located? Is it away from any tempting cords? If you live in earthquake-prone areas, you must make sure there's nothing around the crib or on the walls which might fall over on your baby.

When you make your commonsense walk-through of the house, make sure you write your observations down. Some things can simply be moved or removed entirely, but some things will require a trip to a hardware store or baby-safety section of a department store. Note the number of windows which will need baby locks, the number of toilets, the number of doors leading to the outside.

Be on the lookout for small object lying around that your child could pick up and swallow. This could include buttons, coins and, yes, small toys. This is something you will always be on the lookout for, not just in your initial commonsense walk-through.

Move Medicines and Cleaning Products

Where do you keep your cleaning products? If you're like most people, you keep them under the kitchen sink. And what do curious babies and toddlers like to do? They like to open little doors, like the one underneath your sink. You need to move any harmful substance out of the reach of your children. And, you have to change your thinking about what constitutes harmful substances. A bottle doesn't have to have a skull and crossbones depicted on the label to be dangerous to your baby. What about bubble bath or other bath products on the ledge of your tub? Do you keep a razor on the ledge of your tub, or on your sink? Move them. Also, don't think that just because some of these products have child-resistant caps that they are safe. While it's true these caps can't be opened by the majority of children, you don't want to find out that your child is one of the few who can open them. Again, be sure to store these items out of reach, perhaps in a locked area.

Outlets, Drawers, Cupboards and Toilet Lids

Again, children are curious. While curiosity is good in a child, it can pose some safety risks when the object of her curiosity is an outlet, drawer, cupboard or toilet. There are many safety products geared for these specific targets. Be sure to note all the targets which need locks or covers. You might also consider a simple outside lock for your refrigerator.

Block Stairways

If you have a house with multiple levels accessed by stairways, you need to be particularly diligent in protecting these areas. Stairways should always be properly gated. What's properly gated? Properly gated means they are mounted with screws or bolts. Never use pressure mounted gates at the tops of stairs. Your child may be able to put enough pressure on them to break the pressure mount.

Block the Fireplace

If you have a fireplace, you should be aware that it's probably a big curiosity to your baby. Let the baby see the fireplace and fire from afar with a hearth gate.

Keep Windows Safe

Lock windows or use guards to prevent windows from opening too far. Screens may keep the flies out, but they will not keep your child from falling out of a window.

Monitor Outside Doors

If your doors aren't already alarmed, consider installing door chimes which sound when the door is opened. This way your toddler can't slip outside while you're not watching. This is especially critical if you have a pool.

Teach Your Children Safety

Although you're taking all the steps possible to protect your baby in the home, it's good to teach your children about safety. Again, it's a fine balance. You don't want to paralyze them with fear, but you want them to have the knowledge to protect themselves.

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