Baby Proofing Guides by Stage
Each stage of your child's development changes which hazards matter most. These guides walk you through the highest-leverage work for the stage you are in, and the one coming next.
Stage 1 · Pregnancy through 4 months
Newborn Baby Proofing: What to Do Before Your Baby Comes Home
Newborn baby proofing is mostly about the environment your baby will sleep in and the assumptions you make about your home. Babies in this stage do not move on their own, which means the hazards are the ones you create for them: the bassinet you assemble, the changing table you set up, the water heater temperature, the smoke alarms you install or do not install.
Read the Pregnancy through 4 months guideStage 2 · 6 to 10 months
Crawling-Stage Baby Proofing: The Six- to Ten-Month Window
The crawling stage is the highest-leverage window in baby proofing. Your child has gone from stationary to mobile, but is still operating at floor level — they have not yet figured out climbing or door handles.
Read the 6 to 10 months guideStage 3 · 10 to 18 months
Walking-Stage Baby Proofing: The Ten- to Eighteen-Month Window
Walking changes everything about how your child interacts with your home. The hazards you addressed at the crawling stage are still relevant, but a new layer appears: the upright child can reach surfaces a crawling child could not, fall a longer distance when they trip, and discover climbing as a deliberate activity rather than an accident.
Read the 10 to 18 months guideStage 4 · 18 months to 3 years
Toddler-Stage Baby Proofing: The Eighteen-Month to Three-Year Window
The toddler stage is when many baby-proofing products start to fail in predictable ways. Your toddler can open most doors, defeat many cabinet locks given time, climb to surfaces you considered safe, and unlock the things they have watched you unlock for the past year.
Read the 18 months to 3 years guideHow to use these guides
Plan one stage ahead
Most baby-proofing work is easier to do before it is urgent. Read the guide for your child's current stage, then skim the next one so you know what is coming. Mobility leaps tend to happen faster than parents expect, and the window between "not crawling yet" and "crawling everywhere" is often only a few days.