Having a baby is one of the most unique experiences that you, as a parent, will ever live through. Nothing can match the amount of love, joy, and pain you’ll feel as you watch them grow into young adults who are about to leave home for college.
Apart from the emotional ups and downs that you’ll have to be prepared to face along with your child throughout both of your lives, there’s also a little bit of preparation required for your physical space, especially when you’re bringing your first baby into your home for the first time – there’s no such thing as being “too prepared”.
In this article, we’re going to tell you about the different things you’ll need to consider when bringing a baby home for the first-time. This way, you can get the place ready well in advance and won’t have to worry once your baby finally arrives. Without further ado, let’s get started!
1. Get the nursery ready
Though many parents prefer to keep the baby’s crib in their own bedroom for the first few months (and even years), you’ll soon realize that even so, it’s best to have a nursery ready for the baby.
This is because having a baby means having a separate storage compartment that’s dedicated to diapers, bibs, onesies, toys, and whatnot, and it’s best to have all of this stored in the nursery which will eventually become your child’s bedroom once they grow up.
Additionally, it’s only a matter of time before your child begins crawling, so it’s a good idea to get that space set up with carpets and a playpen, since this will reduce the risk of your child getting hurt when he or she begins to crawl.
2. Baby proof the house
Of course, a new born baby isn’t going to run into sharp edges or slip from the stairs, but kids grow up faster than you can imagine, so it’s a good idea to start baby proofing your home even if your baby still hasn’t started moving around alone.
Whether it’s covering the sharp edges of all the table corners, putting barriers in front of the stairs, covering all the electric sockets which can be reached by them, or putting latches on all the cabinets and doors – make sure you’ve got it all covered before you child starts walking around and exploring the house on his or her own.
3. Protect expensive items
If you talk to any parent you know, they’ll be able to give you a list of all the expensive items they lost in the course of bringing up a baby.
Whether it’s spilling grape juice on the white carpet, getting peanut butter all over the couch, or even having an expensive necklace ripped to bits when the parent was distracted – you’ll be able to hear this much and more.
While you can promise yourself to always have an eye on what the baby is upto to avoid such misfortunes, it may not always be possible and work out that way.
Instead, if there’s something that you value very highly in your house, like a luxury sofa you recently bought, you can consider getting it insured with a home and contents insurance plan like iSelect – this way, you can be prepared for any accidents that may happen during the initial years of raising your baby.
4. Install baby monitors and cameras everywhere
By everywhere, we mean all the places you’re most likely to leave your baby. Once your baby becomes a little bigger, it’s good to leave them to play by themselves every once in a while to teach them independence from a young age.
Additionally, if you’re going to be hiring a nanny in the future once you return to work, having baby monitors and cameras will help you keep an eye on the baby even when you aren’t around – giving you the peace of mind you deserve!
