Baby gates are especially useful because they let you decide where your child can go and where they can’t. Some of the most common places parents use baby gates are at the top of stairs, and entrances to certain rooms where they don’t want their child going, such as a kitchen. The great thing about the gates is that if you do not have a door to block off a certain area, such as a kitchen, you can use a gate and you don’t have to worry about your child entering that room, even if for some reason they do get out of your sight.

Baby gates also come in a variety of different sizes for many different uses. Let’s take a look at some of the different types.

Extra wide: Extra wide baby gates are great for any large opening you are trying to block off. If you have a space where a traditional size gate won’t fit you will need to go
with and extra wide baby gate, but because they are retractable you could use them for a smaller space as well.

Wooden: When you think of a baby gate the first thing that comes to your mind might be plastic, but wooden baby gates
are also very popular. What type of material you decide to choose is up to your personal preference, but if you prefer a wooden baby gate you have that option.

Extra tall: Just like the extra wide there is the extra tall baby gate. These can be very useful if you have a bigger child, or a very curious child who can not be contained by an average height gate. If you are not sure if your child could get over an average size gate you may just want to go with an extra tall baby gate to be safe.

Just like there are many different types of baby gates there are also a number of different companies that make them. They include:

Dream Baby
Evenflo
Kidco
Kolcraft
North States
Regal Lager
Regalo
Safety 1st
Summer Infant

The best way to protect your house is to go through it like a child would. You need to take on their perspective to understand what they can get into and what is in their line of sight. Things that may look obvious to you may not be as important as things that are more obvious to them. Take a sweep of your house and note all the different places that could be cause for concern.

Making sure that you have the proper safety equipment and monitors in your house is very important for both you and your children. You need to make sure that all detectors, such as smoke and carbon monoxide, are operable and on every level of the house. Also make sure that you have an accessible fire extinguisher. Be sure to show your children how to work any other forms of safety equipment in case there is an emergency where it may be needed.

Having the proper locks on all windows and doors is very important to keep children out of harmful chemicals and rooms that may have other dangerous equipment, such as a garage. Just locking doors may not be sufficient enough to keep them from opening the door or window. Kinds are very clever and can figure out how to open doors that you would not think they could. You will need to purchase child proof locks that go over door knobs or on cabinets. These will prevent kids from getting into these harmful places.

One of the most dangerous places for kids to get into is the laundry room. Your washer and dryer are a place that kids often times find interesting and think they are great hiding spots. This curiosity by a kid can lead to tragedy. Be sure to use the locking system on you machines that disable kids from being able to open the doors.

Another dangerous part of your house is places where kids can get caught or stuck in. Things such as low hanging window cords or pickets in stairs that are too far apart, can strangle you children if they get stuck in them. Be sure that all window blind cords are high enough to where kids can not reach them. Also, make sure that your pickets are properly spaced and kids can not get stuck between them.

There are so many things that kids can find to harm themselves and many of these places are right in your own home. While is supposed to be a safe place for them, it can also be one of the most dangerous places. Be sure that you have properly secured your house so that your child can play in a safe environment.