Many parents don’t think about childproofing until they see their baby crawling over to the steps or pulling himself up on a coffee table with a sharp corner. Most of the time the tears and boo-boos are minor, but we parents are fearful folk, so there’s an immediate mad dash to figure out what needs to be childproofed. Before you know it, you have a weird, oversized gray foam bumper on that sleek coffee table in your living room or a clunky, mismatched baby gate at the top of your steps. If you plan ahead, though, you can get childproofing gear that’s both practical and cool.
I love the stylish childproofing products from Rhoost. According to co-founder Vianka Perez Belyea, when her child was a baby, she couldn’t believe how few childproofing products there were that were effective and fit with a modern aesthetic. She and her business partner Tavinder joined forces to create simple, modern childproofing gear that doesn’t use screws or adhesive (no holes in your walls! no sticky marks on your furniture!) and is also made with eco-friendly materials. For instance, the Rhoost Table Corner Guard works beautifully and looks great on a granite countertop or your dining room table.
I also love the KiddyGuard baby gate from Lascal, a Swedish company that is best known for the Buggy Board platform that attaches to the back of strollers. The award-winning KiddyGuard has a minimalist and modern look, and it works like roller blinds on your windows instead of the traditional swinging gate. Not only does the KiddyGuard essentially disappear when it’s not in use, it also works in a huge range of home door openings, saving you lots of measuring.
Kidco is a widely available childproofing brand that makes my favorite outlet cover. Their Universal Outlet Cover replaces the entire outlet instead of using outlet plugs. The covers are spring-loaded, so as soon as you remove the plug, the outlet closes. This eliminates the danger of parents and caregivers forgetting to replace outlet covers after unplugging.
While it may seem like it will be a long time before you need to childproof your home, babies grow so fast, so plan ahead to protect your curious toddler! Childproofing gear will be a fixture in your home for a while, especially if you have more than one child, so you’ll be glad that you took the time to get the right gear and find products that look great.
