Home Safety Guidelines

A Parent’s Guide To A Safe Home

At CHKD, we’re committed to helping families stay safe. This guide for parents is full of helpful information to keep your home safe for everyone.

Browse Safety Topics:

• Home Safety Misconceptions
• General Home Safety
• Kitchen Safety
• Bathroom Safety
• Nursery Safety
• Child's Bedroom and Playroom Safety
• Living Room Safety
• Hallway and Stairwell Safety
• Playground Safety
• Pool and Yard Safety
• Garage Safety
• Emergency or Disaster Home Safety Tips

Home Safety Misconceptions:

Myth: Once you have safety-proofed your home, you never have to do it again.

Fact: Safety-proofing is an ongoing task. As children grow and develop, it is important to re-evaluate the environment.

Myth: Young children can be taught to avoid safety hazards, so there is no need to change the environment.

Fact: Young children are naturally curious and don’t understand the dangerous consequences of their actions. Register for one of our parenting workshops or webinars at CHKD.org/Classes, or listen to our practical parenting tips information at CHKD.org/ParentingResources.

Myth: Safety concerns are consistent over time, so it’s not necessary to keep up to date with new trends.

Fact: Many new products are available to parents as consumers every day. It is imperative that parents stay up to date on safety hazards and product recalls. 

General Safety Guidelines

Properly place smoke detectors throughout your home and test the batteries each month. Replace smoke detectors every 10 years. Change batteries every year.

Install a carbon monoxide detector on every level of your home. Check it once a month to make sure the batteries work. (NOTE: Mount alarms on the ceiling or wall at least 4 inches from doors, windows, fireplaces or forced-air registers.)

Learn infant and child CPR and first aid.

Keep flashlights handy and make sure they are in good working condition.

Make sure electrical cords are in good condition and out of sight.

Cover unused electrical outlets, including power strips, with protective devices.

Program emergency telephone numbers into your cell phone. Ensure that any care providers, babysitters, or older siblings also have these numbers programmed in their phone.

Make sure there are no accessible cords on the front, side or back of curtains or window blinds. All cords should be out of a child’s reach. Visit CPSC.gov for updated window covering safety alerts.

Don’t let children under age 5 play with objects small enough to fit inside a toilet paper tube. Small objects can post choking hazards.

Keep matches and lighters out of your child’s reach, preferably in a locked cabinet. Teach your child that these items are not toys.

Keep medicines, vitamins, alcohol and perfumes in a locked drawer or cabinet.

Keep electronic devices that contain coin-sized “button” batteries – such as key fobs, hearing aids, calculators, toys and greeting cards – out of your child’s reach.

Keep pocketbooks or handbags containing medicines or sharp objects out of your child’s reach.

Don’t smoke or vape in your home or allow smoking around infants and children.

Make sure your household plants are non-toxic. Visit poison.org for poisonous plants and information.

Make sure all space heaters in your home are UL-approved, in good condition and surrounded by a protective barrier or screen.

Keep wood-burning stoves and fireplaces in good condition, and surrounded by a protective barrier. Keep a fire extinguisher nearby.

Make sure stairs, walls, railings, porches and balconies are sturdy.

Make sure hallways and stairwells are well lit and free of clutter.  

Keep your playground equipment and home, inside and out, free of any peeling or chipping paint.

Keep basement and attic doors closed and locked.

Lock up rifles and guns, and keep them unloaded. Learn all you can about gun safety. 

Determine your best escape routes in the event of a fire or other emergency. Make sure escape ladders are available on every floor. Practice a fire escape plan with your family. Teach your children to “stop, drop and roll” if their clothes catch on fire. Practice together. Open windows from the top – not the bottom – whenever possible. Never open a window unless window guards are installed or window stops are engaged to keep windows from opening greater than 4 inches. Screens will not keep a child from falling out of a window.

Surround exercise equipment with protective gates or barriers.

Download and Print: A Parent's Guide To A Safe Home

Kitchen Safety

Download this Kitchen Safety Checklist

• Supervise children around microwaves and other heating sources.
• Test the temperature of all food before giving it to a child.
• Secure young children in highchairs with restraining straps, and never leave them unattended.
• Don’t give children under 3 small pieces of food they can choke on. 
• Never carry a child while holding hot food or liquids, including
  coffee or tea.

Bathroom Safety

Download this Bathroom Safety Checklist

• Always supervise young children when they are in the bathroom.
• Never leave young children unattended when they are bathing, even if you're using bath rings, seats, and other baby bathing aids.
• Do not use electrical appliances near water.

Nursery Safety Checklist

Download this Nursery Safety Checklist

• Never use cribs with sides that slide up and down. They have been recalled.
• Infants should sleep in a safety-approved crib or bassinet in the same bedroom as their parents for the first 6 months to 1 year. Never share a bed or sleep surface with an infant.
• Make sure no cords – such as electrical, blind or curtain cords – are hanging near the crib.
• Never leave an infant unattended on an elevated surface such as a changing table, couch or bed.
• Keep one hand on your baby at all times when changing diapers, dressing or bathing. 
• Never use a baby walker. They are a common source of serious injury.
• Don’t let children under age 5 play with objects small enough to fit inside a toilet paper tube. Small objects pose a choking hazard.
• Follow the ABCs to put your baby to sleep - Alone, on their Back, and in a Crib. For more information on safe sleep, visit SafeToSleep.nichd.nih.gov.

Child's Bedroom and Playroom Safety

Download this Child's Bedroom and Playroom Safety Checklist

• Choose well-made toys for your child according to age, interests and skill level. Follow safety information warnings.
• Supervise children when they play. A toy intended for an older child may be dangerous in the hands of a younger child.
• Don’t let children under age 5 play with objects small enough to fit inside a toilet paper tube. Small objects may pose a choking hazard.

Living Room Safety

Download this Living Room Safety Checklist

Playground Safety

Download this Playground Safety Checklist

• Always supervise children on the playground. Do not allow pushing, shoving and fighting on equipment.
• Empty standing water or other solutions in buckets and wading pools.
• Provide proper hydration on hot days. Water is best.
• Provide proper outdoor clothing on cool days.

Hallway and Stairwell Safety Checklist

Download this Hallway and Stairwell Safety Checklist

Keep hallways and stairwells safe by ensuring proper lighting, secure footing, and sturdy support throughout. Install full-length handrails that are easy for children to grasp, use slip-resistant rugs, and make sure stair and balcony slats are closely spaced to prevent injury. For homes with young children, add securely mounted, JPMA-certified safety gates at both the top and bottom of stairs.

Pool and Yard Safety

Download this Pool and Yard Safety Checklist

• Use a power mower with a control that stops when the mower handle is let go.
• Never let a child younger than 12 mow the lawn. Make sure your older child wears sturdy shoes, with good traction, while mowing the lawn and that objects such as stones and toys are picked up from the lawn before it is mowed.
• Wear goggles to protect your eyes from flying debris when mowing the lawn.
• Never have a child on your lap while operating a riding lawn mower.
• Never grill indoors or near garages or porches.
• Never leave a grill unsupervised while cooking.

Garage Safety

Download this Garage Safety Checklist

Reduce risks in and around the garage by keeping doors closed and locked when not in use, removing doors from old appliances to prevent entrapment, and storing keys to electrical equipment safely out of children’s reach.

Emergency or Disaster Home Safety Tips

Prepare your family for emergencies by staying informed, making and sharing a clear plan, and building a well-stocked emergency kit with essentials like water, food, and flashlights. For additional guidance, visit Ready.gov, and if you live in Virginia, be sure to know your evacuation zone through VAEmergency.gov.