Becoming new parents is by far the most taxing, yet the most fulfilling milestone for parents. With all the changes and transformations that they undergo, some people find it a bit arduous. Nine long months of searching the internet, reading books and parenting magazines, and talking to different groups and professionals are somehow not always enough to prepare you for what will come. The adjustments could be a bit tedious for some parents. Those who have their firstborn find it the hardest to adjust to their new lifestyle. Some parents find it daunting to take care of their baby.
The first thing that you will need to take into consideration while reading this article is that you may not need to apply all these tips immediately, and the application of them will depend in your children’s ages. Don’t rush - enjoy every stage of your baby. Sometimes parents can get overwhelmed trying to implement all the changes to their homes to welcome a child into their lives, for example you won’t need to worry for some time about all the plugs that your child can reach, because this will be something to do when your baby starts to crawl or walk.
The second piece of advice for parents to be is to follow your gut; parents may not realise that they will know what to do in different situations and what is the best for their children.
Our Top 10 Tips to babyproof your house!
When we think about babies and toddlers, we imagine them going all around the house; they are extremely curious, so they will crawl and walk more around spaces they feel familiar with. This is why the first tip that we want to give to parents is to pay close attention to windows. Children love climbing, and a window is extremely dangerous for this - keep all windows closed if you are not planning to be in that room. The best things to use are window security bars or window restrictors; bear in mind that accidents can happen in seconds, so it’s always best to minimize all possibilities as much as you can.
Most of the time, “babyproof your house” articles will advise you to keep knives and other sharp kitchen utensils far away from your children. However, don’t forget that you can find anything that is pointed in any room, like the bathroom and the garden. Check your whole house for things that could harm your baby if they are starting to crawl or walk; put these objects in secure places that are difficult for the child to reach.
Closing doors of those rooms that you are not using will make it possible to have your baby always in your sight. Most of the time, accidents will happen when you cannot see your child, and when you don’t know where they are. Making sure that they cannot open doors to go to other rooms will save you from panic moments.
Always pay attention when you are bathing your baby or when your toddler is having a bath. The most important rule is to always see when your children are in the bathroom - it can take seconds for your child to drown in water and suffer shock, no matter the age or if they know how to swim.
Babies and toddlers love to explore where they are, and more so if when starting to crawl or walk; everything is new and excited for them. They will grab anything that is reachable, it doesn’t matter what it is, if the thing is big or small, expensive or not, they won’t know what they are grabbing. If you leave something that is easily accessible to them, you can be 100% sure that that thing will get damaged in the process of learning what it is that they have in their hands. We advise you to put away those things that could be dangerous or have sentimental value.
The best thing to do with cleaning products, alcoholic beverages, medicines and cosmetics is to keep them stored in high places where children cannot reach. It would be best if you could lock the place where these items are stored. This way, you can be sure that no children will reach them. Have a look of the plants you have around your home; some of them might be poisonous to your children.
Babies, while they are learning to crawl and walk, will bump into everything that is around them. While they are learning how to coordinate their bodies, they will often fall. They won’t be able to decide where they will fall, so some accidents may happen - they could bump their head on sharp corners, coffee tables and TV cabinets or anything with edges. The best way to avoid this is to cover the corners and edges with some clear edge bumpers, so you won’t need to run to the hospital for any emergency if you baby bumps into them.
If you have a garden, your child will love to spend as much time as they can there. Before enjoying exploring the different plants and insects that your children and you can find around, the best thing to do is to make sure there are no gaps in your fence where any part of your child’s body could fit. Make sure that the plants you have in your garden are safe, are not poisonous and they don’t have thorns; babies and toddlers love grabbing things, so if they see a rose, they will want to explore what that is and get injured.
When babies and toddlers are learning about the new world around them, they will use their sense of touch to explore their environment. If they feel anything in the wall that is different, they will stay there for a while, which is why many children have accidents with electricity sockets. Trying to avoid this by making sure that all sockets have safety shutters that stop the child getting shocked.
Are mentioned before, there are some pieces of furniture that can be dangerous to your child. In this tip, we will talk about lamps, TVs, mirrors or any item that is on top of furniture, which might become dislodged and fall. First make sure that heavy items are securely attached; change the position of items if you need to and follow your gut to know what could be risky and what not.
There are different ways to find a nanny with newborns experience, such as asking friends for recommendations, looking by yourself on the internet or using an agency.
Little Ones Agency has been working with United Kingdom families to place nannies for over 15 years. Our nannies are highly experienced and the best at keeping your newborn safe and healthy, as well as at helping parents with all the new routines. At Little Ones, we will only provide you with nannies with extensive experience and exceptional recommendations.
Our vetting procedure for nannies includes:
Little Ones understands how important it is for your nanny to live locally to you. We will only consider a candidate that is able to walk or cycle to your home, or within a 45 minute to an hour travel to you, to ensure that your nanny arrives on time every day. We also take care to consider the candidates’ welfare and ensure that they don’t become run down by the daily commute.
Our bespoke consultancy service enables our consultants to get to know you and your requirements thoroughly. Through our thorough interviewing process, we get to know our candidates’ values, interests and methods. This helps us to ensure that you and your nanny are a perfect match, leading to a long lasting placement.
Take a look at our currently available nannies. For a no obligation discussion with our team of expert consultants about your nanny options, please contact Little Ones or request a call back at a time which is convenient for you.
If you wish to try out Little Ones Nannies and other services, you can check out our website at https://www.littleoneslondon.co.uk or call us on 02071830309 for more information. You can also send us your enquiry at enquiries@littleoneslondon.co.uk. For updates, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or LinkedIn.
