#How to baby proof drawers

It never ceases to amaze me how much I take cabinets. drawers and other storage areas for granted. Without them my house would be a mess.

The unusual thing is that some babies couldn t care less about drawers. To them whatever is hidden away simply does not compete with their awesome toys. You are probably reading this guide because the last two sentences do not describe your baby at all.

Before we take a look at how to baby proof your drawers, lets take a look at why you need to.

The dangers of drawers to your child (and you)

Its really funny. Before young children enter your life, you would never have consider drawers to be dangerous. Once you do start to care for kids, you will begin to realize just how dangerous they actually are.

Lets take a look at the hazards to your child that drawers can pose.

• Drawers can hide dangerous objectors such as sharp knives and poisonous substances.
• The entire contents of a drawer can be strewn across a room in glee because your child finds it fun.
• Drawers can be closed on your child s fingers, resulting in serious injury.
• Drawers can be used as a ladder to reach higher areas (seriously, children are devious little geniuses).

I am also going to add that drawers can be slammed continuously. While not a direct danger to the child, can wear on a parents sanity. And trust me, there is nothing more dangerous than an insane parent!

Baby proofing drawers

There are many different types of drawer locks available and not all are created equal. When shopping around be sure to read reviews that other parents have left on products. By doing this you will quickly learn that while some baby proofing products sound amazing in theory, they just don t hold up in practice.

Besides reading reviews, here are some other things to be wary of when looking to child proof your drawers.

• Watch for drawer locks that allow the drawer to open up a crack.

These can still squash curious little fingers or allow the drawer to be pried open with a narrow tool.

Avoid magnetic locks with weak magnets. Cheaper locks have cheaper magnets, they will potentially drive you crazy if you cannot easily open drawers to access the contents.

Some locks will need to be hardware mounted. These are no good for people who rent as they landlord may prohibit your from modifying permanent fixtures, such as drawers.

If you find the lock difficult to use, try another.

You use your drawers every day. If you even have to fiddle around with the lock for five seconds each time you open a drawer you will eventually get frustrated. Save your sanity!

Right, we have that out of the way, lets look at the different products that are available to you to baby proof your drawers.

Baby proofing drawers with magnetic locks

The most popular way to baby proof drawers is to use magnetic locks. The locking mechanism is hardware mounted inside the drawer. The mechanism will not unlock until you open it with a magnetic key.

Magnetic locks will generally come in a pack consisting of one magnetic key and numerous locks. This means that you can install the locks across a range drawers (even cabinets) that you want to prevent your child from entering.

When you want to open the locked drawer, simply hold the key in front of the lock with one hand and pull the drawer with the other. You can even deactivate the locks temporarily for those occasions when you need to constantly open and close drawers, such as when you are cooking up a storm in the kitchen.

Below is the most popular and highly recommended magnetic lock kit containing one key and eight locks.

Magnetic Drawer Lock

Colors: As pictured.