How to ensure your home is child-friendly

So you’ve just become a parent. Congratulations! This means you’re in for a lifetime of joy and love, but also a few changes… and not just to your sleep schedule! It’s important to make your home both child proof – for their safety – and child friendly – for their enjoyment.

Tips to keep your home child safe

Common sense very much applies – but a lot of these things you may not have thought about – after all, until now, you never had to think about what would happen if you chewed on a particular plant! Here are some tips:

• Cover up power outlets and keep cords wound up as tightly as possible – cord shorteners are readily available, or pipe cleaners and rubber bands can be used in a pinch.
• Stabilise bookshelves, bedside tables and other items that can be pulled over by fixing them to the wall.
• You can tick a lot of boxes by simply putting things that can cause harm out of reach, so…
  • Like we said before, put plants out of reach – and best to get rid of any poisonous ones – children will try anything once given the chance.
  • Cleaning products and medications – lock them away out of reach.
  • Breakables – move them to higher shelves.
  • Unstable items that sit on the floor like lamps – put them in storage.
  • The key to unlock your gas fireplace – put it out of reach.
• Then, anything you can’t put out of reach, lock up!
  • Door knob covers – so your little one can’t get outside without you knowing.
  • Toilet locks to keep toilet lids down.
  • Cabinet locks for your kitchen and bathroom.
  • Spout covers for your bathtub spout.
  • Lids for your bins.
  • If your home has multiple storeys – or even just different levels with only a few steps – gate off the steps.

How to maintain a child-friendly environment

Now the important stuff is done, time for the fun stuff.  Kids love being able to explore and play, so dedicating at least a couple of spaces to this is great – even better if one can be at the centre of the home so the whole family can be involved.

Start with the obvious: their bedroom. Bright colours are stimulating so make your child’s spaces nice and bright. A bright coloured blanket, for example, makes a great first play space before they can move around more independently.

Other possibilities:

• Keep their favourite toys together in a basket they can reach. They can pick whatever takes their fancy at the time!
• In another basket, keep squares of scrap fabrics like burlap, corduroy, silk, satin, cotton… kids love getting their hands on things, the more textures the better!
• Place board books on low shelves to encourage an early love of reading.
• Make sure any decorations are safe to be touched and even chewed.
• Pick up some child-size furniture – second-hand websites are your friend!

By following these tips, your child will have a blast exploring and discovering… they won’t even realise that they’re developing their confidence and their brain power, and you’ll have peace of mind knowing they’re staying safe while doing so.