If you’re expecting a new member of the family soon, then you’re probably considering all the different home improvements you can make to transform your hazard-filled home into a paradise for your baby. But of all the different home improvements you can make and products you can purchase, what’s actually worth your time and money? Read on to find out!
Stopped sharp corners
There are many easy ways to protect your baby from bumping into sharp corners around your home. Whether it’s a door, shelf or cupboard, there’s always going to be some place you overlook. In the worst case scenario, your baby could crawl directly into something sharp and cut themselves, which is the last thing you want to happen to your newborn. Soft guards that fit around corners are a worthwhile investment and they do a good job of protecting your child even when they’re toddlers and above.
Gating off stairs
If you live in a home with several floors, then chances are you might need to take your baby up and down the stairs. When they grow older, they’ll start to crawl around and explore, so it would be wise to gate off stairs and other problem areas such as a kitchen, study or hardware room. Gates are relatively inexpensive and do a good job of protecting your child from getting into certain areas of the home, and it also helps to separate your child from large animals such as dogs.
Replace flooring
The best flooring for a baby is solid timber flooring or a similar wood-based alternative. This is because babies like to crawl around and explore, so your carpets will present many different hazards that could affect your baby. For starters, carpets are usually quite lush and small objects such as bits of plastic, screws or even pins can lodge themselves into the carpet. They’re also more hygienic and easier to clean. Carpets tend to attract dirt very easily which can be very harmful to your child’s respiratory system at such as young age. By using wooden floors, you remove this harm altogether. As your child grows older, they might cause some mess on carpets by spilling drinks, drawing or painting, and it’s far easier to clean wooden floors as opposed to carpets.
Removing clutter
Babies love to chew on random things and put things into their mouth. Random objects around the home are no exception to this, and you don’t want your child to be putting bits of metal, plastic or wooden into their mouth. Make sure you declutter your home and remove anything that could be mistaken for food, and remove any loose bits of furniture or large pieces that you don’t need. The more places your child has to hide, the more places they will be out of your sight.
Cover electrical outlets
Most electrical outlets are close to the floor which means that they are at the perfect height for babies to play with and fiddle around with. You need to make sure that all of your electrical outlets are covered, and if any are in use make sure they are hidden and that the cables are neatly packed away so that they don’t get in the baby’s way.
Every parent in the house must do child proofing. It may take a little time but safety comes first.