23 Aug 2018
How to Baby-proof your Home
So, you’ve got your mortgage, and you’re buying your house. But, is it safe for your little ones? When you move into your new or first home with your family, there is one thing that goes through every new parent’s head – we need to 'baby-proof' our home! Before you move into your new house, it is highly recommended that you make sure your home is safe for your little one.
Because the older babies get, the more they’re going to roam and explore around the home. And they suddenly go from wriggling things to crawling/walking experts – they’re off like a flash! So, because you’re not going to be able to keep up with their every movement, making your home safe is top priority.
The MO team is here to help! We’ve got everything you need to know about making your home safe for your little one, so there’s no injuries and less tears, which means less crying noise (hopefully). See our tips on babyproofing in this post.
On the Move
As soon as babies master the ability to crawl and then walk they suddenly go from easily visible to elusive. You’ve got to be quick on your toes to keep up with your toddler exploring your new home. Accidents can happen anywhere in the home, and unfortunately, they do happen through no one’s fault – that’s why they’re called an accident. So, whilst you can’t protect your child from everything, you can do a little bit to keep them safer around the home.
Getting the right stuff
You don’t need to spend endless amounts of every single piece of safety equipment you find for your home. Understandably, you may want to because you’d do anything for your little one. But, you don’t need to break the bank buying it all. There’re a few things that are necessities, and ones that the MO team would recommend purchasing when moving into your new home. These are:
- Stair gates
- Plug Socket Shields
- Edge and Corner Guards
- Child Cupboard Safety Locks
- Door Stoppers
It’s recommended by every parent and professional to have these essentials in your home, in order to try and keep your child as safe as possible. Of course, dependent on the property you’re moving into, you may need additional things. If you’re lucky enough to have a pool (we’re very jealous if you do), you’ll most certainly need a pool alarm – to alert you if your child falls in by accident. All of these are precautions to make sure your child is as safe as they can be.
Baby-proofing Tips
So, we’re going to give you some tips on childproofing your new home! See the essentials below:
- Gates
Child safety gates should be installed at both the bottom and top of stairs to prevent potential accidents occurring.
- Safety Rails
If your staircase has bannisters you need to put up a safety guard to stop your child either climbing on them or falling through (if they’re wide enough).
- Cords and Appliances
Any electric wires should either be completed hidden away or removed. Things like hairdryers and other appliances should be unplugged and kept out of reach of children.
- Dangerous and Heavy Equipment
A great deal of accidents happen in the kitchen, so it’s essential to make sure knives, pots and pans are stored away in a safe and unreachable place for your child. This goes with pretty much every room – make sure heavy objects are moved into storage.
- Sockets
Use plug socket shields to make sure that any exposed sockets aren’t accessible by your little one.
- Doors
Use door stops to keep doors open and prevent your child hurting themselves with them – shutting fingers in a door can be a nasty one!
- Windows
If you have any windows at child height, or that are accessible by climbing, make sure you install window guards to prevent any accidents occurring.
- Sharp Edges
Use corner guards to make sure your child doesn’t bump into any sharp edges or corners.
- Cupboards
You can use child safety locks to prevent your little on accessing any cupboards they shouldn’t be.
The safety of your child is of the utmost importance, so make sure your new home is as safe as possible for the little one. Whether you’re in a new home or your current one, make sure it’s safe for your kids.
Looking for the perfect family starter home? You’re going to need a mortgage for that… Luckily, MO compares thousands of mortgages to find you’re the best deal, that’s right for you. Start your mortgage search, today.
