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When you think about baby proofing your home, it’s likely you’re thinking about adding gates and socket covers (don’t do this!) to each room and doorway in the house. The thing is, adding soft cushions to table corners and locks to cupboard doors is all well and fine, but it’s not quite baby proofing your decor for your sanity.
Children – especially crawling babies – have a habit of getting in everywhere. It doesn’t matter how many locks or bolts or gates you have; they learn to climb and they learn to become stronger than Schwarzenneger as they grow. Toddlers have been known to climb over the door gates and pull off the socket covers, so while you’re going to be chasing your toddler tornado, there are some things that you can do to ensure that your furniture and your decor is free from baby destruction. Let’s take a look.
- Think about your floors when you decide to get pregnant. Are you enjoying thick carpets that you can sink your toes into? Well, a baby is going to puke, poop and spill, and engineered wood flooring is always going to be an easier option. It’s a low maintenance choice that ensures that you can mop up any spills without the need of an industrial carpet cleaner!
- Those chic blinds you got for the windows? They’re not too safe. The loop that you use to pull them up/down/open/closed is a hazard for a toddler, and it doesn’t matter if your windows are high, the toddler WILL get up there. It’s time for a rethink, which means shopping for new things!
- Fabric, squashy sofas are life, we know. There is nothing quite like sinking down into the sofa to watch a movie at the end of a very long day. Except when the baby projectile vomits all over it and you can’t get the puke stink out of the cushions. Swapping for a leather sofa has the same effect as the wood flooring: easy clean-up and still looks great!
- Glass ornaments have their place in the home. Up high, in closed cabinets, where not even the toddler can see them. It may have been nice to have your glass trinkets on display, but babies and glass just do not mix!
- Television is a staple for a lounge, with all the furniture pointing at it all day long. If you’ve noticed that your toddler is stepping up to the TV unit to touch the TV, it may be worth putting it up on the wall. Toddlers and TV? They don’t see the dangers, only the cartoons.
- Nearly all new furniture pieces come with anchors these days, and it’s important that you use them as much as you can. No one wants to read another story about children crushed by furniture, and you don’t want to deal with that, either. Anchor furniture to the walls and you will ensure that your child remains safe and sound.
Enjoy a stylish home all year around – just do it safely!