How to childproof your living room

Minnie Bhatt, Design Director at her eponymous design studio, sheds light on how you can create a safe living room for your little one

Delightful as they are, babies can create havoc once they start crawling or walking. To prevent accidents that may cause serious harm to your child and/or ruin expensive furniture, take measures to babyproof your house.

1.    Sharp edges / corners of tables and other furniture pieces need to be covered to ensure kids don’t hurt themselves. Plastic corners
       available in stores like IKEA (abroad or online) serve as a temporary solution. These can be removed and replaced easily if the living
       room is being used to entertain guests.

2.    Artefacts and art pieces should be affixed to shelves or surfaces with double sided tape to hold them in place. This way the child
       cannot easily topple the pieces.

3.    Switches and power sockets covered with child guards are important, however also make sure there is no mishap even if the child
       plays with the switch boards. In such a system, the plug cannot be operated unless a sharp device is inserted into the socket. Ensure
       switches for geysers/air conditioners are at a height so the child cannot access them.

4.    Install door closers so that doors shut very slowly and gently to prevent the child’s hand or leg from getting caught when the door
       shuts.

5.    Appliances like vacuum cleaners, set top boxes, toasters etc should be covered and out of reach of the child. These should never be
       left plugged in with a child around to avoid mishaps.

6.    Heavy coffee table books should ideally be put out of the child’s reach.

7.    Keep room layout as open as possible by moving loose furniture. This will give your child enough obstacle free space to run around.

8.    Door handles and cabinet knobs should be round to prevent toddler’s from getting hurt.