Babyproofing your Dubai home, room by room.

Many parents start before their baby begins to crawl, so the essentials are in place before they’re needed. Babies move on quickly, from rolling to crawling, pulling up, cruising and climbing, and each stage brings new things within reach.

A good plan looks a few months ahead, not just at what your child can do today.

In villas and townhouses, the stairs come first. The top needs a screw-fixed gate, and a gate at the bottom stops a child climbing up on their own. Glass balustrades, open risers, landings and split levels all need a closer look.

Large windows that open wide, sliding balcony doors and railings with climbable furniture nearby are common in Dubai homes. Restrictors, locks fitted out of reach and the way a space is arranged all play a part.

Chests of drawers, wardrobes, bookcases and TVs on low units can tip if a child pulls on them or climbs. Whether a piece needs anchoring depends on its height, weight and construction, and on the wall behind it.

Cleaning products in low cabinets, drawers with knives and small items, hobs, ovens and dishwashers. Concealed magnetic locks keep cabinets looking as they did, and appliance locks and hob guards help where little hands can reach.

Standing water, medicines and toiletries, and hard, slippery floors. Toilet and cabinet locks, and a door that stays closed, do much of the work.

Furniture near the cot, blind cords, windows and chests of drawers. Bedrooms should feel calm, with safety measures that sit quietly in the background.

Low sockets, extension leads, chargers and lamp cables. Socket covers suited to UAE sockets, cable tidies and moving reachable items out of the way.

For villas with a private pool, controlling how a child reaches the water comes first: barriers, self-closing gates and alarms on the doors to the pool area, planned around Dubai Municipality guidance. Gardens and terraces bring their own gates, water features and planters.

Every home is different. Wall construction, cabinetry, glass and stone all affect what will hold, and a product fitted badly can look reassuring without doing its job.

A Home Safety Assessment looks at your whole home with your child’s stage in mind. You receive a written Home Safety Plan with the price of each item before any work begins, and you choose what to go ahead with.