My sister texted me three hours before Thanksgiving dinner: “We are bringing the baby. Is your house baby-proofed?” My house was not even adult-proofed. I had cleaning supplies under the sink, prescription bottles on the nightstand, and a glass coffee table with corners sharp enough to filet a toddler.

I had one hour. Here is exactly what I did, in order, and what actually mattered versus what was overkill.

Crawl-Level Hazards (First 15 Minutes)

Get on your hands and knees. I mean it — crawl through every room the baby will access. You will see things you never noticed standing up. Under the sink: drain cleaner, dish soap pods, bleach spray — all within reach of tiny hands. Move them to a high shelf or install a cabinet lock. Magnetic locks exist that do not damage cabinets and install in thirty seconds each.

Power outlets at floor level: outlet covers. The plastic plug-in kind. Buy a bag of twenty for under five dollars. Every exposed outlet in the rooms the baby will be in gets one. Literally plug and done.

Sharp Corners and Unstable Objects (Next 15 Minutes)

My glass coffee table was a lawsuit waiting to happen. I grabbed a throw blanket, folded it thick, and draped it over the corners. Ugly but temporary. Corner guards are better for permanent setups — stick on, peel off, no damage.

Walk around and push lightly on everything at toddler height. Floor lamps. Side tables. The TV on its stand. Anything that wobbles gets moved or anchored. A baby pulling up to stand will grab whatever is closest, and that thing had better not fall on them.

Small Objects and Choking Hazards (10 Minutes)

Coins on the coffee table. Magnets on the fridge within grabbing distance. My partner’s earrings on the bathroom counter. Loose batteries in a drawer. Anything that fits through a toilet paper tube is a choking hazard. Sweep it all into a box and put the box in a closet.

Gates and Doors (10 Minutes)

Close doors to rooms that are off limits. If you have stairs and no gate, block them with something heavy — a large piece of furniture, a rolled up yoga mat wedged across. Not perfect but functional for one afternoon.

Final Walkthrough (Last 10 Minutes)

One more crawl-through. This time with a laundry basket — pick up anything you missed. The basket goes into a bedroom and the door closes. Done.

My niece survived Thanksgiving without a single injury. The throw blanket on the coffee table actually started a conversation. My sister said it was the best baby-proofed non-baby house she had ever seen. The bar was not high, but I will take it.