Having a big family is the dream for many people, but it involves a lot of work! Like looking for a big multi family house for sale, you still have to take into consideration that you will need to childproof both the interior and the exterior of that house. Combining fashion and aesthetics with function to create a family-friendly home can be a tough challenge. But, it doesn’t have to cause stress because it really isn’t that hard to do! I promise!
It is essential to understand the need for a kid-friendly environment, as household injuries are among the top reasons why kids under three years old visit the ER each year. It is responsible and smart to be prepared for anything that may happen.
How To Make Your Home Child-Friendly
There are plenty of ways to ensure your children’s safety. In this article, you will find tips for making your home child-friendly, including helpful information on decor and baby gates that will help your home become a safer environment for your sweet little one! So, how do you make your home child-friendly?
Child-Proof Your Plugs
Most children seem to be drawn to switches and electrical outlets. Sometimes you may get the impression that the more dangerous something is, the more fun and appealing it is for kids. That is why every home with small children should invest in outlet covers for electrical outlets.
You can purchase them in any hardware store or at your local supermarket. If you are still worried that your sneaky child can manage to get their hands on them, you might want to move some heavy furniture in front of the outlet.
On the other hand, instead of purchasing regular outlet covers for every electrical outlet in your house, you can transform some of them into nightlights. You can buy easy-to-install, adjustable LED lamps with outlet covers that close immediately after you remove a power cord.
Invest In Carpet Tiles
Generally speaking, carpets and kids don’t go well together. Rugs are really hard to clean, and sometimes it’s impossible to clean a carpet without professional help. However, most children love sitting and playing on carpets as they are much more comfortable than hard floors.
If you want to place carpets in your home, you should consider getting carpet tiles instead of broadlooms. If something spills on it, you can easily take out one or a few pieces and throw them into your washing machine or bring them to the dry cleaner. If the stain doesn’t come out, you just need to buy one more carpet tile instead of replacing the whole rug.
Lock Your Cabinets
You can find many dangerous things in any house, from knives and matches to glasses and photo frames. With small children at home, you should consider keeping all such items in locked cabinets or drawers. Nevertheless, small kids are pretty clever, and most of them can open them by themselves.
That’s where magnetic locks come in handy. Adhesive locks can be babyproofing lifesavers, and they don’t require drilling or screwing for installation. They can help keep your curious kids away from potentially dangerous household items. Doing this small thing definitely increases your home to be more child-friendly.
Cover Doorknobs
Some rooms in the house are not designed for children. For instance, offices or garages can be pretty dangerous if you let a child go in there without any supervision. Many things can go wrong, including injuries and breaking some valuable stuff.
However, if you want to make a room off-limits, you should do more than just tell your kids to stay away. As we all know, forbidden fruit is the sweetest thing.
You can purchase a doorknob cover in any hardware store or make your own using a sock and a rubber band. The child’s grip won’t be strong enough to keep the sock from sliding on the knob, but you can grab it a little harder than usual and open it with ease.
Paint Your Walls
Semi gloss paint or chalkboard paint for walls is fun for both kids and adults. You can choose any color you like and encourage your children to express their creativity freely. When they are done playing around, you will find cleaning markers, crayons, and chalk from the walls to be very easy to do.
They also make chalkboard paint which would be a great option in a child’s room! That way, if they draw on the wall that is painted with chalk paint, it is okay! It also encourages their creativity!
Think About the Gates (How To Make Your Home Child-Friendly)
Unless you live in a one-story home and you’ve baby-proofed every room from the ceiling to the floor, then you will probably need a baby gate, as some areas of the house can’t just be locked.
For example, stairs or fireplaces are most commonly located in the living room, which can’t be off-limits. The only thing you can do to make it safe for children is to set up gates so you kids can’t go near these areas.
There are two types of gates you can choose from. Hardware-mounted baby gates need to be screwed into a door frame, wall, or handrail. They are the most secure type of baby gates, but you can’t install them anywhere you want. These are best for childproofing staircases and kitchen areas where there are a lot of electrical items, low cupboards, and other things a toddler can easily get into.
The second type you may want to take into consideration is a pressure-type gate. These gates are like tension rods, so they don’t require any drilling. If you have a gate with the correct measurements, it should stand up as long as each end is tightly pushed up against a wall or door frame. I used this type of baby gate in my home when I had little ones. These are the best ones as far as I am concerned.
Invest In Rounded Furniture
I know that sounds ridiculous, BUT they do make rounded furniture and it is much safer for your little ones! Even if you live in a house with a lot of space for children to play, they will always find a corner to bump into. Most furniture corners are sharp, and they can easily cut the skin, so if you want to have a complete, from top to bottom, child-friendly home, this might be something to look into.
The Bottom Line
We all know that small children can change your life in many different and absolutely WONDERFUL ways. If you are a first-time parent, then baby proofing your home, before your baby can start navigating his/her way around the home, needs to be done. You have to adjust everything in order to prevent your little ones from hurting themselves or breaking valuable things before they can actually walk.
Fortunately, there are many solutions for problems that every parent has to face. Keep in mind that a house that a child lives in has a significant impact on their development. That is where they grow up and play, and the memories that they make there should be the ones that they will cherish forever. We should do everything in our power to make them the best and keep them safe!
Do you have anything you want to add to my article ‘How To Make Your Home Child-Friendly‘? If you do, please comment below and I may add your advice in my next parenting article. Thank you!
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