Hearing your baby cry can feel like torture, especially when you are in the middle of nowhere and don’t have what they need to calm them down. If you’re expecting your first child or have recently brought home a newborn, make sure you are doing everything possible to make your house baby-ready!
The following tips on how to prepare your home for a baby will help you turn your house into a safe and suitable environment for your baby.
(1) Choose the Right Location for the Nursery
Nursery location – now that you’ve decided on a name, it’s time to pick the perfect spot for the nursery. First, give some thought to how many rooms you want your child to sleep in. For example, one parent might be staying at home with the baby so they want a baby-friendly room close by that can be turned into a makeshift nursery while another family might prefer their nursery to be more isolated and separate from the rest of the household.
(2) Get Rid of Anything Dangerous
While stepping towards a baby-friendly house, getting rid of anything that could potentially harm a baby is one of the first things to do when making your home safe and comfortable. Exposed wires, sharp edges, and breakable items are all potential hazards in the home so be sure to keep them out of reach.
Consider whether you want any plants around your baby as they can sometimes cause an allergic reaction or even poisoning if eaten. Outfit any open doorways with gates to make sure they can’t wander away. Use railings on staircases so they’re not climbing up or down without supervision, and put an end table at the top of stairs so they can grab onto it if they start to fall down.
Make sure there’s nothing in the bathroom that might pose a danger – like bathtubs with steep sides and toilet seats low enough for them to climb up onto.
Keep any electrical cords from dangling dangerously and don’t leave small objects within their grasp as these may present choking risks.
(3) Put Safety Locks on Cabinets and Drawers
Safety is the most important thing when it comes to how to make your house safe for babies, so put safety locks on all cabinets and drawers. This will make it impossible for any curious little hands to open them and get into trouble. Make sure you childproof your outlets by sticking outlet covers in the socket openings or using plastic outlet plugs that snap in place to cover them.
You can also buy inexpensive plug-in baby gates that you can set up easily in any doorway or corner of the room. Baby monitors are also great if you need peace of mind from afar, but be careful not to spend too much time looking at the monitor as this might lead to problems with isolation later on if you’re constantly checking up on the baby every now and then.
(4) Cover Electrical Outlets
Baby-proofing outlets are one of the easiest ways to make your home safe for a baby. There are many products you can use to cover them up and keep babies from sticking their fingers in them. You can buy outlet plugs, and outlet covers, or place plastic guards over the outlets while getting your house ready for your baby.
It’s best if you start doing this before the baby is born so that they don’t get curious and start sticking their fingers in them.
Make sure there are no throw rugs on the floor: Throw rugs seem harmless enough but when a baby starts crawling around, it’s easy for them to trip on them and fall down. Carpet runners work great as throw rug replacements because they allow for movement without being too slippery.
(5) Move Anything Fragile or Breakable Out of Reach
A. If you are expecting a baby, it’s a good idea to put away anything fragile or breakable while organizing your home for a newborn. You don’t want to risk an accident by having these items within easy reach of a curious child.
B. Consider the room temperature in the room where the baby will be sleeping and make sure that it is baby-friendly, especially if you have a winter baby who will be too cold without extra layers of clothing on top of their sleepwear and blankets.
C. Paint any high shelves in the baby’s bedroom so they’re lower than his head height so he doesn’t accidentally bump into them while playing with his toys or crawling around the room.
D. Make sure there are no electrical wires dangling near places where your baby might play, like on counters next to appliances.
(6) Get Rid of Any Poisonous Plants
If you have any poisonous plants in your home, get rid of them. You don’t want to risk your baby getting into the plant and getting poisoned. It’s better to be safe than sorry if you’re learning how to make your house suitable for your baby.
Put anything that can potentially cause harm out of reach from the baby’s hands: Take out anything dangerous from where the baby will be able to reach it. Anything with small parts or a choking hazard is something you’ll want to put up high on a shelf or table so the baby won’t be able to reach it without help.
Think about what would happen if a baby was eating or drinking the object if they could choke on it and die before you even know what happened?
(7) Keep the Floors Clean
New parents need to make sure that their floors are clean and free of any dirt or debris to avoid dirty floors leading to sickness. You can use a mop on the floor while getting your house ready for your baby or you can use a vacuum cleaner if the floor is hardwood.
Make sure that you remove any hair from the floor and vacuum underneath furniture, curtains, and beds. The baby will be crawling around so it’s important to clean up after yourself as well as have a baby-friendly room.
One thing to consider when creating an ideal baby room temperature is whether or not your baby has trouble regulating its own body temperature because some babies like cold rooms while others prefer warmer environments.
Organizing your home for a newborn also means making sure all surfaces in the home are childproof with things like outlet plugs and keeping things off the floor with shelves that reach at least 3 feet high.
(8) Install a Carbon Monoxide Detector
While organizing your home for a newborn, don’t forget to install a carbon monoxide detector. Carbon monoxide can’t be seen, smelled, or tasted and it can build up in your home over time. It’s most likely to get in when you use any fuel-burning appliances such as furnaces, gas stoves, and fireplaces.
Having a carbon monoxide detector will help keep you safe.
What are the other things that need to be done to make sure that your baby is safe?
Assemble a medical kit with first aid supplies and emergency phone numbers. That way if there is an accident, you’ll have what you need right at hand. Put the kit somewhere easy to access so everyone knows where it is located in case of emergencies. Put the kit somewhere where it won’t get too hot or cold.
(9) Get Rid of Any Sharp Objects
Getting rid of sharp objects is a great way to make sure that you don’t accidentally hurt your baby while they’re crawling around or exploring its surroundings.
You can also get rid of any electrical outlets that are behind furniture, and any cords that may be unsafe for the baby to chew on. This will help keep them safe from harm as well as help with tidying up the home. It’s also worth getting baby-proofing devices if you have steps, like stair gates and door guards, to avoid accidents.
Get more cushions for the floor to make a baby-friendly room. A comfy surface is essential when caring for an infant so make sure you’ve got plenty of cushions down on the floor so your baby can nap in comfort.
(10) Baby Proof Your Home
To baby-proof your home you’ll want to make sure that anything that could be dangerous is out of reach and that nothing could pose a choking hazard. Having a baby-friendly room will ensure they are always safe and warm.
A baby-friendly room should have no sharp corners, no dangling electrical wires or cords, and no space underneath furniture or in between sofa cushions where the baby can get stuck.
You also need to keep the ideal baby’s room temperature at about 68 degrees Fahrenheit (20 degrees Celsius) with a humidity level between 40% – 60%.