How to Kid Proof your Home

When you have children it can feel like your home is now their domain. Not only that, but your formerly stylish interior is now a major safety hazard. Your glass coffee table is a source of bumps and bruises and your chenille rug is a messy, sticky, tripping hazard as your little one tears about the place. Help is at hand however; here are some top tips to help child-proof your home and retain some style in your interior.

Sofas and Chairs

If you have a fabric sofa, you can keep it clean by vacuuming and brushing, though you may find it difficult to remove stubborn stains. When considering buying a new fabric sofa, it’s worth choosing one with machine washable covers – just in case. For older children, who might treat your three piece suite as a climbing frame, selecting the right style of sofa can prevent your front room looking like a bomb site. Sofas and chairs with cushioned backs can look crumpled just from ordinary use and need a lot of tidying.

Coffee and Dining Tables

For small children, a table can be one of the most dangerous obstacles in the home. The hard surface and pointed edges are just asking to be walked into by children who are unsteady on their feet, or over-eager to get from A to B. Tables have the added problem of being just the right height for little heads to bump into.

Buying a round dining or coffee table could help to avoid scrapes, as this eliminates pointy corners. Alternatively, if you want to child-proof furniture you already own ‘corner cushions’ can help to protect little ones from sharp edges in the home. These cushions are made of a light-weight foam and fit easily onto tables, shelves or cupboards. They can be attached to the top or bottom corners using double sided sticky tape and only cost around £3 or £4 pounds.

Rugs and Carpets

Rugs and carpets can be a tripping hazard for little feet if not secured down properly. Rug grips are a simple solution and can be bought for as little as £10. If you’re not precious about your flooring another alternative is to apply double-sided sticky tape to the edges of your rug.

Keeping rugs and carpets clean can also be a problem if you have small children. Dark colours and patterns can help to disguise stains and marks, whilst regular vacuuming and shampooing can help to prevent carpeting harboring germs that may be dangerous for children playing on the floor.

To make your home extra child proof, wood flooring could be a more practical option. Removing all kinds of dirt and spillages is a doddle from wood and there’s virtually no possibility of staining.

Nicky Holland is a mum of four (including three boys!), ranging from 4 to 14 years old. She says on the subject of flooring: “Wood flooring is definitely more child-proof than carpets! Just make sure you choose a less slippery option (ask your supplier) and put a doormat on the outside and inside of every outside-facing door. Make sure they can’t slip around and then train your kids to use them.”

Cupboards and Drawers

The contents of you cupboards and drawers at home are probably stowed away for a reason. Keep sharp objects and dangerous chemicals in high cupboards, out of the reach of your child if possible. Cupboards and drawers themselves can be tempting for little hand to try and grab hold of.

Younger children may use low doors to pull themselves up on or may get fingers trapped. Child safety catches can prevent a multitude of accidents like these and are cheap to buy and easy to fit to the insides of cupboards. They also make doors nearly impossible for children to open to give you extra piece of mind.

For more tips please visit www.1926woodflooring.co.uk

image credit: slightly everything