Although our homes are often considered the places we feel the safest, we won’t blame you if you find yourself having a few anxieties about how to keep your baby safe within it. As a new parent, it’s completely natural to overthink or over analyse what measures you should or should not be taking within your humble abode.

So, if this has been the case for you, we’re here to inform you on how to make your home as safe as possible for your little one, so you can put your mind at ease, and feel well and truly informed!

How can I make my home safer for my baby?

Make sure to store all painkillers, medicines, drugs, alcohol, cosmetics and vitamin pills in a lockable cabinet. Remember, babies find everything interesting. They also won’t understand that items like these are potentially hazardous. So it’s best to keep them completely out of reach.

Ensure all of your gardening and household chemicals are stored in a cupboard. Items that help with keeping the house and garden well-kept can also be potentially hazardous. So make sure to keep all of these out of your baby’s reach, perhaps in a cupboard.

Invest in some child-resistant locks. Child-resistant locks are a fantastic way to put your mind at ease when it comes to making your house safer for your baby. You can put them on any cupboard or compartment that you don’t want your baby accidentally accessing.

For any product that has a child-resistant lid on, make sure to screw it on tight. Screwing lids on tight will help you feel more confident that your child won’t be able to accidentally open something they shouldn’t.

Never put anything your child shouldn’t drink in a drinks bottle. For obvious reasons, liquids can very easily be mixed up.

Keep any hazards that could cause choking or suffocation out of your child’s reach. We don’t say this to scare you, as this is an unlikely event. However, it’s always better to keep anything that could cause this type of event out of reach.

Let your baby have only age-appropriate toys.

Put plug guards on any open sockets. Open sockets can be potentially hazardous to anyone, not just babies! However, to be on the safe side simply cover them with plug guards. In addition, ensure that any electrical appliances aren’t dangling down or within reach to be grabbed by little hands!

Install window locks and stair gates. Stair gates are a wonderful invention, and will easily put any worry you have of your baby falling down the stairs at ease, while window locks will do the same for any particularly adventurous babies! Remember to double-check that your baby can’t fit through the railings on your landing or balcony.

Keep small toys or parts that could cause choking away from your baby. Toys will be your baby’s new best friends within the family home. Therefore, it’s important to be aware of what kinds of toys they are interacting with. For example, if the toy is small enough that it could fit inside a loo roll, then this is a hazard you should be aware of.

Be vigilant of pets! Your baby is likely to absolutely love your furry friend and will enjoy having them around the house. However, remember that pets can be very territorial! So don’t be surprised if they want to climb into the Moses basket. Also, always be in the same room to supervise your pets' interactions with your baby, just to be on the safe side.

A tip if you have a dog or cat. Dogs and cats, in particular, are known to be a little temperamental at times. Therefore, make sure your dog or cat is fully trained before the baby arrives. If your dog/cat is temperamental by nature, then look into playing some tapes of babies crying before your baby arrives. This will surely prepare your furry friend for the new arrival!

Don’t leave your baby alone when eating. As your baby grows, you’ll be able to turn your back while they are eating and not overthink it. However, when they are very young, it’s best to keep your eye on them during all mealtimes. Be aware of particularly hard-textured foods like nuts, and leave these off the menu until they’re a little older. Nuts can be served if they’re thoroughly crushed or in butter form.

Keep coins, batteries and buttons locked away. Again, though we in no way intend to scare you, it’s important you remain vigilant about smaller items like this, as they can cause choking. In addition, you may also want to keep items like string, elastic and plastic bags out of sight.

Be wary of hot drinks. When making your morning cup of coffee or evening cup of tea, remain wary that hot drinks can be dangerous when it comes to scalding hazards. Ensure to turn the temperature of your water down when cooking, and keep your baby in a high chair if they are in the kitchen with you during this time.

Fit smoke detectors! These are essential in any home, for obvious reasons.

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