There are a lot of things to consider when you welcome a new baby into your home. If you are a first time parent, you might have concerns and worries about baby proofing your home to make sure it is safe for a child. There are many things that will change, including the way that your home is arranged, decorated and safeguarded.
Clearing Space for Baby
If you are turning a den, home office or craft room into a special nursery for the baby, it can be a tough decision on what to do with all that extra furniture. Rather than sell off all that furniture, which is probably still useful and in good condition, why not safely store your furniture at an affordable storage in Fall River? Self-storage units are a great way to protect and care for things you might not be using right now, but could have room for in the future.
Consider the Timetable
Many of the changes that will need to be made to your home won’t need to be made until baby is mobile. For now, your child will primarily be in baby seats, cribs and other protective child safety furniture. Once your child begins to roll over, crawl and then pull up to start walking around, things will begin to change. However, the first few months can be spent just enjoying baby and not worrying too much about extra safety measures that will need to be taken later.
Check for Potential Hazards
One of the most helpful techniques used for baby proofing your home is to crawl around on the floor at “baby level” and see what might be a potential hazard. Coffee tables with sharp edges, glass doors on entertainment centers, sharp handles on drawers and other common furniture adornments should all be considered. Wobbly furniture, art, knick-knacks and other things that could fall over and hurt baby as she pulls herself up to walk should be removed for safety reasons. Rather than selling off your favorite pieces online or via garage sale, consider storing these items in self storage units. You can use them again later when your child is older.
Create a Checklist
Depending on the design and style of your floorplan, there are other things that will need to be considered when baby proofing your home. If you have stairs, either to a basement or leading to a second floor, you will want to get secure baby gates. For second story homes, a baby gate at the bottom and top of the stairs will likely be necessary as soon as baby figures out how to climb out of her crib. Electrical outlets, plugs, cords and other items need to be out of your baby’s reach.
Curtains and Flooring
In addition to furniture and design hazards, you must also consider window coverings and flooring around your home for safety. Long curtains that hang down to the floor can be removed and stored in self storage units or can be opened and moved to the side behind a chair or other strong piece of furniture when baby is up and about. Pull cords on blinds can be a hanging or choking hazard. Make sure you don’t have any blinds with cords in baby’s room or anywhere that baby will be unsupervised. When it comes to flooring, consider adding non-skid padding to area rugs to prevent slipping or store your rugs with your furniture.
Call the Experts
If you aren’t sure what to do – or where to start – consider hiring a professional to come in and take a look at your home for potential hazards and problems. They can help you with locking mechanisms to prevent baby from getting into cupboards, refrigerators, toilets and more. Remember that you can safely store furniture and other items at a local self storage unit to keep baby safe and protect your furniture from scratches, crayon markings and all the other things that come with parenthood. Because most parents are on a budget, contact Affordable Storage in Fall River for information on storage unit pricing, Penske Truck rental and options available for storing vehicles, recreational vehicles, boats and more. They can help you decide how much space you’ll need to help you take care of your needs while sticking to your budget.
Contact Affordable Storage in Fall River
For all of your baby proofing, storage and moving needs, contact Affordable Storage for information on self storage units, truck rentals and other helpful options that can give you all the space you need at home at a price you can afford. Affordable Storage in Fall River has been serving customers in the Southeastern Massachusetts area for over 20 years, providing a wide variety of storage options and truck rental services.