Welcoming a new baby into your home is always an exciting time but it is highly likely that, unless you already have children, your house will require some simple adaptations to make it as child-friendly as possible. It is also quite probable that once your little one has arrived spare hours are going to be in short supply, so it is well worth making some time before the big day to prepare your home for your baby.

How do I get my home child ready for my new arrival?

Preparing your current child for the addition of a baby is an important step as you welcome your new arrival into the family. There are many things to consider, such as introducing the concept of a baby, emphasizing that much of your attention will be devoted to the baby, and being prepared for feelings of jealousy from your older child. When introducing the concept of a newborn, take time to show them baby pictures and explain how a baby grows. Invest in age-appropriate toys so that your child has something special just for them. Finally, creating positive experiences between baby and older child early on can help stave off some of those potentially jealous feelings. Doing all this will help ensure that your home is happy and ready when the baby arrives!

Tidy up!

The chances are the last thing you will feel like doing when you arrive home with your baby is cleaning the house so take advantage of the nesting instinct to get the place squeaky clean. That way you can spend precious hours with your baby instead of doing monotonous household chores.

As babies grow and learn to roll and crawl, you will quickly realize that no corner of your home is untouchable! Plan ahead by removing clutter, putting small items out of reach of tiny hands and mouths, moving breakables onto high shelves or cupboards, and pinning loose wires to skirting boards. Watch out for items that can be pulled over such as standing lamps. It may help to get down on the floor to see the world from a baby’s-eye view in order to spot all the dangers.

Keeping warm

Newborn babies are unable to regulate their temperature independently so ensuring that your home is neither too warm nor too cold is not only sensible but essential. Furthermore, medical advice highlights the need to maintain your child’s bedroom at a stable temperature, not only for optimum comfort but also to reduce the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.

A cost-effective and practical way to improve your home is to ensure that it is insulated in line with current recommendations. Not only will insulation help to retain heat during the cooler winter months but will also help to prevent your property from becoming unbearably warm in summer, offering you and your newborn a more comfortable living environment in which sudden temperature extremes are a thing of the past. Wickes.co.uk offers a wide range of insulation for your home which is both affordable and easy to install.

Somewhere to sleep

At first, your child will probably spend time in your own bedroom in a crib or bassinet but will, in time, need her own bedroom or nursery. Wherever she sleeps, either initially or when she moves bedrooms, plan the layout of the room carefully. Position her crib or cot away from windows especially if in direct sunlight or close to a draught. A great way to improve the ambiance of the room is to fit a thermal blackout blind that will help to achieve near total darkness at any time of day as well as keep the room at a steady temperature.

Changing the light switch to a dimmer switch is a fantastic way to vary the light in the room, meaning you can check on your child at night time without having to subject her to the full glare of the lights.

If there is a history of asthma or other breathing problems in the family, you might also like to consider installing a wooden or laminate floor in your child’s room to reduce the likelihood of worsening the condition should your baby be unfortunate enough to inherit it.

Preparing your home for your baby is an essential part of planning for your new arrival and some simple cost-effective steps and a little time can make your property the perfect place to welcome your child home to.