In the last months of pregnancy, many expectant mothers often seem to experience so-called ‘nesting behaviour’: many women who are seven or eight months pregnant look around and start seeing that many things in the house are wrong and unsuitable for the baby boy or girl due to arrive. So starts a long journey devoted to browsing for the best baby room decor solutions and to make sure even the most remote corner of the house is child-safe.

Convoys of girlfriends are often involved in touring furniture shops to complete the little one’s room and to ready the other rooms in the rest of the house. Debates are started to decide on the best solution when, for instance, there are many staircases in the house. In a nutshell, preparations are made for the arrival of the new guest… or rather, for the new master of the house!

Blocking and protective devices

A key safety feature of the house are blocking or protective devices: for instance, all the corner guards for coffee tables and bedside tables that our little one might hit when they start crawling are useful to avoid injuries and bruises. Another important aspect overlooked by many are locks on toilets, as unfortunately the liveliest and most curious children might end up in them! Many choose to cover power sockets as well: this is particularly recommended for old electrical systems, as the latest ones have a circuit breaker that is tripped automatically… though better be safe than sorry! Gates too can serve as excellent dissuasive devices if there are many stairs in the house, at least until children become clever enough to discover how to open them – so the sooner they learn how to go up and down the stairs, the better.

If the house also has a garden, perhaps with an outdoor swimming pool, it is always best to put in place fences and gates to block access to the pool or to dangerous spots of the garden, and especially a sheet over the pool both in summer and winter.

The home decor revolution

Another solution not to be underestimated is related to the arrangement of some objects in the house. Everything is fine until children start crawling or walking: from that moment on, ornaments, coffee tables, bookshelves and drawers will become new areas to discover! This is why it is best to reluctantly get rid of – at least for some time – all ornaments, knick-knacks and figurines brought back from travels or gifted by aunties. Another piece of advice is to change how kitchen areas are managed, so that cabinets with detergents are closed and off limits, knives and anything sharp must be moved and kept somewhere high. This also applies to glasses and glassware, which must be as far away as possible from the little ‘pests’!

And so… the whole house seems somewhat radically changed, but it is certainly safer to let your child run around with more peace of mind. 

A-tishoo! We all fall down: cleaning and floors

Oh… floors! Our so dear and beloved floor, which takes centre stage when children play, lying on the activity mat or on their rocker, sometimes on the rug in the living room surrounded by cushions, learning to keep their back straight or to crawl. With a small child, floors become a key element and remain so for many years: initially maybe covered with playtime mats and later on to run along and slide on their knees.

The floor of the house is the main ‘playground’, either with mum and dad or with friends and, for lucky ones, with pets too: this is why cleaning and hygiene are essential right from the start, and even more than before. For instance, an SM Marble floor makes cleaning quick and easy: use a mild detergent, rinse and dry with a cloth. And that’s all there is to it!