Toddler and Baby Proofing Your Home: A Minimalist Safety Guide for Real Life

Medicine Cabinets: Out of Sight, Out of Reach, Out of Mind

Medication accidents are one of the most common causes of emergency visits for young children.

This includes:

• Prescription medication
• Painkillers
• Vitamins
• Herbal remedies
• Supplements
• Teething gels
• Adult creams and ointments

Minimalist rule:
Medicine is not “locked away” - it is unreachable.

Best practice:

• Store all medication in a high, locked cupboard, not a bathroom cabinet or your bedside pedestal drawer.
• Do not rely on child-resistant caps as they just slow children down, they don’t stop them.
• Never leave medication on a bedside table, kitchen counter, or in your handbag on the floor.
• Keep a strict routine: medicine goes away immediately after use.

If guests visit, do a quick scan for handbags and overnight bags - they many contain medication.

The Kitchen: Where Most Accidents Happen

The kitchen is a sensory playground for toddlers - and a danger zone.

Cupboards and Drawers to Secure

Focus only on what’s dangerous:

• Knife drawers
• Cutlery with sharp edges
• Blender blades
• Peelers, graters, scissors
• Heavy pots and pans
• Cleaning supplies (again)

Minimalist approach: Lock the dangerous drawers. Leave the rest alone for exploration

Countertops

Avoid:

• Kettles near the edge
• Dangling cords
• Hot drinks left unattended

Toddlers pull before they walk.

Bathrooms: Slippery, Silent, and Risky

Medicines & Products

We’ve covered medicine, but don’t forget:

• Makeup
• Perfume
• Nail polish remover
• Hair dye
• Razors

Bath Safety

• Never leave water in the bath, even briefly.
• Use non-slip mats.
• Keep the toilet lid closed with a lock.

Living Areas: Furniture Matters

Furniture Anchoring Is Non-Negotiable

Secure:

• Bookshelves
• Dressers
• TV units
• Freestanding cupboards

Toddlers climb. Even the ones you swear they “would never”.

Coffee Tables & Hard Edges

• Corner protectors can be helpful, especially during the early walking phase. We opted to buy Thomas a protective fabric helmet / ‘baby head protector’ because he was bumping his head on everything – we got ours off Takealot here
• Heavy décor items should be removed or moved higher.

Cords and Blinds

• Tie up curtain cords.
• Avoid looped blind strings entirely.
• Secure loose cables behind furniture.

Bedrooms: Safe Sleep, Safe Play

What Doesn’t Belong in a Toddler’s Room

• Heaters can be very tricky – choose wisely and put guards up on wall heaters
• Loose cords
• Heavy frames or mirrors above the bed
• Even cameras that are taped on the wall with double-sided tape on can fall onto their little faces when they are snoozing (traumatic memory) – drill them in and get the wire housed in wire trunking (can be found at Builders) which you can easily glue onto the wall with “No More Nails” to secure. The camera must be mounted out of reach because the littles get taller and start playing with the camera and try to pull it down.

Clothing Storage

If your toddler can reach it, they will:

• Pull drawers out
• Climb them
• Tip units forward (sometimes while climbing or using surfaces to hold themselves up)

Anchor all bedroom furniture and avoid stacking storage solutions.

Stairs, Doors & Exits

• Install safety gates at the top and bottom of stairs. Please measure wall to wall before you buy your safety gate so you know what width to buy – I have wasted a lot of money on baby gates that didn’t fit. We opted for a metal (push) gate at the top of the stairs and a Noola fabric one for the bottom.
• Sliding doors should have locks placed high.
• Front and back doors should not be openable by curious hands.
• Try remove all keys out of doors so they don’t lock themselves in a room when they learn how to lock and unlock the doors.

If you have a pool, water feature, or balcony – you’ll need to put in a little time to research how to better secure these.

The Hardware Basket / Cupboard: Tiny Hands, Big Trouble

Every home has one: the mysterious basket, cupboard, or drawer where tools, screws, and random hardware accumulate. To a toddler, it looks less like a chore zone and more like a treasure chest of curiosity - and that’s exactly why it’s a danger hotspot.

What Typically Lives Here

• Screwdrivers, hammers, pliers
• Nails, screws, bolts, and small fixings
• Tape measures, glue, and superglue
• Batteries (AA, AAA, button batteries!)
• Lightbulbs, spare keys, or small hardware gadgets

Yes, batteries are a hidden toddler hazard. Button batteries, in particular, can lodge in the throat or digestive tract, causing severe internal injury within two hours. Even AA or AAA batteries can leak chemicals if chewed.

Minimalist Safety Rules

1. Move it high: Store the hardware cupboard or basket out of toddler reach. Ideally, anything with small parts or batteries should require a step stool or be on a high shelf.
2. Use locks or latches: If moving isn’t an option, install a child-proof lock - magnetic locks inside cupboards work well and keep the space tidy.
3. Small parts in containers: Keep nails, screws, and batteries in sealed containers. Label them clearly to avoid accidental access during adult use.
4. Never leave tools unattended: Even a small screwdriver can become a projectile in tiny hands.
5. Batteries = immediate lockup: Any spare or used batteries should never be left loose in drawers or baskets. Store them in a dedicated, closed container high up.

Quick Reality Check

Your toddler doesn’t need to know what a hammer is - they just know it’s fun to grab, bang, or chew. Minimizing access is the only foolproof solution. In a minimalist home, it’s not about covering every surface with gadgets; it’s about moving danger out of reach entirely.

The Minimalist Mindset: Fewer Hazards, Fewer Battles

Toddler and baby-proofing doesn’t mean saying “no” all day. It means designing a home where:

• Your toddler can explore freely
• You’re not constantly on edge
• Dangerous items simply aren’t accessible

If something is:
✔️ Toxic
✔️ Sharp
✔️ Heavy
✔️ Hot

…it belongs up high, locked away, or removed entirely.

This is just a season so if you’re cringing at the thought of what this will do to your beautifully decorated and thoughtfully put together home, you’re not alone. One day when the sliding door glass no longer has grubby little hand marks on it or your ‘super glam’ toy storage no longer exists, you’ll miss it. Live in this chapter fully and embrace it.