Are you a new parent or do you have a baby on the way? If so, you may be wondering how to make your house more baby-friendly. Luckily, there are a number of things you can do to make your home safer and more comfortable for your little one. In this post, we’ll discuss some of the best ways to make your house baby-friendly. Keep reading to learn more!
In This Article
Inspect the house
Before making any changes, take a walk around the house with a notepad, and write down the possibility of your baby harming themselves. Put yourself in their place: babies are always curious and can make unimaginable things when you’re not watching.
Consider everything from table corners, ways to access drawers or places from where they can climb up high. Take a look at the substances in your bathroom (and maybe replace some toxic ones) and make sure they’re not reachable. With a baby in the house, it’s better to adopt a minimalist style because all the decorations and things you own will eventually be thrown away or used as a toy.
It would help a lot to read books and articles on the possible accidents that babies are prone to. You’ll see that other experienced parents have gone through some unbelievable events, and you can avoid such possible occurrences if you know about them.
Create a baby zone
Babies have a better memory than you’d think and are easy to train if you provide them with the exact same patterns. It all starts with having a space for themselves where they can feel comfortable enough to doze off, for example. Sleep-training your baby can be difficult, as they’re growing out to be clingy and fussy until they learn to be more independent.
But a special space for them to sleep will help you create a routine. That corner should be easy to access but dark enough for them not to be bothered by the light. Place plenty of hanging toys and even plushies for them to have something to hang on, and don’t forget to keep the space clean and aired regularly.
Rethink your kitchen
The kitchen is maybe the most dangerous place for a baby, as there are knives, many chairs to fall from and other appliances that are risky for them to touch. Especially when something is brightly-coloured, children are more attracted to that thing (even if they’ll eventually get bored of it), so you need to be careful about what’s shinier and more captivating in your kitchen.
But we know that renovating a kitchen must be quite pricey, so that’s why you don’t need to buy brand-new things. You’ll create a lot of mess while raising your baby, so having second-hand or cheaper appliances and furniture is actually a lot better.
You can find cheap kitchens for sale and components to replace handles or doors on websites such as kitchen warehouse ltd. Most of the time, you’ll be able to benefit from discount codes, so do some research on the places where you want to buy from, and you’ll surely be able to save some money.
Change the way your storage works
As we said before, babies are very curious about anything around them and want to explore continuously. That means that storing your things like you usually used won’t work the same
because they’ll start to learn how to open cabinets and take something dangerous to play with.
Choose high drawers that are hard to reach to keep cutlery and have only one place where you have your bathroom supplies. The best things to get for the cabinet doors are locks and straps that are not easy to open. You have many options from magnetic ones, adhesive mounted locks or pull cord locks (for two side-by-side knobs).
Don’t make a big deal of the toys your kid will have. Buying a basket where you can dump everything should do the job. If the toys are accessible, it allows you to teach them how to put them back and become more organised by inducing a sense of responsibility.
If you have expensive jewellery or other precious objects, maybe don’t keep them in sight because they don’t value as much in children’s eyes. And think twice before you choose a storing place, as babies can reach any place if they put their mind to it.
Consider special rugs
Yes, you’ll have to think about this too, because it’s more likely to spill some food when you’re feeding them. Given that babies can make a mess even on their own, maybe don’t invest in expensive rugs and change your flooring to something easier to clean.
For rugs, you have the option for ones that can stick on the floor, so your kid won’t be able to play with them. Although, when it comes to their space, it’s best to choose natural materials for their bedding and clothes, like wool and cotton. For rugs, polyester should be fine.
Ensure safety
Parenting is not easy, and you might find yourself struggling to keep it together sometimes, and you’ll want to take a break. To make sure you can safely leave your kid to play in your house, you should consider baby gates that allow you to keep an eye on them while relaxing (or doing other house chores).
The retractable gates are perfect for you to open and close easily, without the risk of your kid hurting themselves and are wide enough to see their surroundings but not too cramped to get stuck. Plus, they’re perfect if you have stairs in your house, but you can also install some in the kitchen or the living room.
Another product that parents adore is a baby phone monitor that allows you to hear from the other rooms if your baby is crying, and some of them allow you to see your baby from wherever you are. It’s a great tool to establish safety at all times and intervene when required.
Wrapping up
Being a parent is a blessing ― but it’s not easy, especially in the first years of your newborn. You need to be more careful than usual to ensure your baby has a safe and happy life.
