When we have children, we spend a long time worrying about baby proofing the house and making sure it’s safe. We put child locks on cupboards, move furniture, strap things to walls, and cover sharp corners. We crawl around on our hands and knees to make sure anything our offspring can reach is safe for them to touch. But, then the toddler years hit and suddenly your little angel can do a lot more damage to your home than your home has ever done to your child. Many of us are wildly unprepared for this development and find our homes need huge amounts of redecoration once the kids start school. Here are some top tips for toddler proofing your home before it’s too late.
Keep it Safe
While your toddler may be changing and developing all the time, it’s important to remember that they are still very young and incapable of making responsible decisions. Toddlers are strong willed, impulsive, and fearless. So, it’s important to make sure they are still safe. As they get older, you may want to remove some of your babyproofing tools, but keep the stairgates, remove any trip hazards, keep shelving and furniture secured, and keep electricals out of reach.
There is a wealth of advice and information out there on how to make your home safe for children. Read it, and take on board the advice. But, only you know your child well enough to make the decisions.
Plan for Potty Training
Once you’ve got passed all the baby milestones and your child is walking, eating well, talking, and sleeping through the night, one of the next big things is potty training. Learning to use the toilet rarely goes smoothly, so you may want to consider discount carpets from Big Warehouse Sale in preparation for accidents.
Create a Free Space
Toddlers love to explore their creativity and express themselves in different ways. While this is hugely important for their development, watching them run around with crayons can be terrifying. If you don’t want to spend your days shouting “watch the walls” or “on the paper!” it’s a good idea to create a messy zone or an area of your house where they can be free. This area could have a chalkboard wall and plenty of space to hang their pictures. Or, just make sure you keep a spare pot of paint so you can paint over artistic marks whenever you need to.
Protect Your Furniture
Children can make all kinds of mess. They draw on things, spill drinks, drop food, have toilet accidents, or vomit on the floor. All of this can damage your furniture. So, start protecting it. Move anything valuable into rooms the kids don’t play in. Cover your sofa with a throw, replace your nicer cushion covers with plainer, cheaper options, and treat any wooden furniture with a hard-wearing finish.
Hopefully, following these tips will mean both you and your toddler can relax and enjoy your home without you worrying that any harm is going to come to either your child or your décor.
