5 Ways To Make Your Home More Child Friendly

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When it comes to our homes we often but a lot of time and thought it exactly how we want them to look and feel. So when children come along it can often be a steed learning curve discovering just how child friendly (or not!) your home is and it's often things you don't even think about that kids get into first!

However having children shouldn't mean your home can't look and feel how you want it to, it's all about making simple, small changes and adapting things around the home to make it safe for children. So whether you are expectant parents, parents of a child who has just learnt to crawl/walk and realising how cheeky these babies can be or a grandparent who often looks after their grandchildren, here are some simple ways in which you could make your home more child friendly whilst still feeling like your home.

Wooden Floors 

Whilst carpet make feel soft and cosy underfoot, when you have children you quickly realise how much they spill, drop and wipe into the carpet and soon get fed up with the constant stain removal, scrubbing and wiping trying to keep it looking fresh and clean.

The great thing about opting for wooden floor as an alternative is that it is really quick and easy to clean and rarely stains either. It is also much easier to sanitise which is especially important then babies start to crawl around on the floor too. Of course wooden floors can be a little harder to sit on but there is always the option to add a large soft rug to sit on that can then be taken outside to properly clean easily or replaced without having to pull up an entire carpet and replace when it gets stained.

Storage 

It is no secret that when you have a baby they come with lots of "stuff" even when babies are tiny your house soon becomes filled with baby clothes, toys, products and furniture and it only increases as they get older. Getting creative when it comes to storage is a great solution for this and whilst it won't decrease the amount of things you have, it will mean everything can be tidied away and stop the house feeling messy or cluttered and giving you more floor space.

There are of course the obvious storage solutions such as cupboards, draws, toy boxes etc but you could also try and get creative with unused spaces in your home too such as under beds (either built in draws or sliding/wheeled storage boxes), storage under stairs and even in footstools etc. It is important to try and remember that if you are storing children's toys away to try and make some of the storage easily accessible to kids too, that way that can get out and put away their own toys as and when they want them. 

Relocate Sockets and Switches 

We are all aware of the dangers of sockets, switches and little fingers and whilst there are some safety covers that you can purchase there are questions over how safe these actually are. If you have lots of sockets that are easily accessible to young children and inquisitive minds then it could be a good option to consider having them relocated. This could be as simple as moving them up higher, or relocating them to a completely new area of a room. Whatever option you consider a good electrician should be able to advice the best option for your home and price everything up for you.

Create Child Accessible Areas

Whilst it can be tempting to want to tidy everything away, it is still important to create child accessible areas and making sure your child knows where these are within the home. This creates a space that your child knows it safe and easy to access and can be filled with their own toys, games, dress up or any other activities they love. You could even rotate this every few weeks/months to make sure your child doesn't get bored with the content.

This could be toy boxes, draws or cupboards that are low to the ground and safe to access or it could be just in their bedroom where they have freedom of where they put their own toys, this will obviously depend on the space you have in your home and what you are comfortable with.

Secure Furniture to Walls 

Most large furniture actually comes with brackets and screws to secure your furniture to the walls to make sure it is safe and when you have children in your home it is more important than ever to ensure these are used to make sure it is safe and isn't at risk of falling. Children are cheeky, mischievous and inquisitive and may not be aware of just how dangerous is can be to pull or climb on large furniture, especially if they spot something they want on top or inside of it.

Pieces such as bookshelves, toy units and cabinets can easily be climbed by adventurous children and whilst of course we should talk to children about not climbing or pulling on these, having the extra safety measure of having them secured to a wall will provide an extra level of security and safety. As I mentioned these brackets and screws often come with furniture anyway so shouldn't incur any extra costs either.

Have you found any other ways that have helped you make your home more child friendly or heard any great ideas? I would love to hear them in the comments below.

xXx


**This is a collaborative post.**