Some things in your house are not supposed to be reached by your kids. Some are dangerous, some just very fragile. Do you teach your child to not touch these or do you ensure they are out of their reached / locked away?

Rather than childproofing everything, I think it is definitely better to teach a child how to handle fragile objects. This will also help when one brings the child to visit a friend/relative, and the child would (hopefully) exercise some restrain when exploring the new environment. To introduce the concept of “fragile items”, you can first sit with your child and explain to him/her why is the item considered fragile (easily breakable, has special meaning). You can start with using a picture frame and let your child hold it while teaching him/her the proper way of handling it. That being said, dangerous items must still be kept out of reach and safety around the house must still be observed: - Install safety latches on the doors of all cabinets and vanities, especially those that contain chemicals or breakable glassware - Cover electric sockets - Remove all chemicals from under the sink and be aware that mops, sponges, toilet brushes, etc., have chemicals on them which children might access. - Keep chemicals and medications locked away, out of children’s reach. - Make sure cords on window blinds are not accessible to a child. - Keep sharp objects and dangerous tools out of children’s reach. - In the kitchen, turn the handles of pots and pans on the stove inward so that children cannot reach them. This article offers a very good take on this issue: http://www.nymetroparents.com/article/Don-t-Clear-the-Coffee-Table-?PageSpeed=noscript