Preparing your home for your adopted child’s arrival
There’s something about getting your home ready for your new child which makes it official. You really are about to have a child. That’s exciting! And the reality
You really are about to have a child. That’s exciting! And the reality
And the reality is, when you’re adopting a child, preparing your home makes it even more official.
You haven’t had the 40 weeks of pregnancy to prepare you for their arrival. You haven’t felt the emotional response to
You haven’t had the 40 weeks of pregnancy to prepare you for their arrival. You haven’t felt the emotional response to pregnancy of nesting. That’s why preparing your home when you’re adopting is an important part of the process to bond you to your new child.
It’s exciting, and a little terrifying, to think about bringing your child home. All new parents feel this way. When you’re adopting, preparing your home for their arrival feels like another step you need to complete to show you’re ready for the responsibility of being a parent. Let’s face it, all children have a talent for finding all of the items in your home which they could use to hurt themselves. If you have a pair of scissors tucked away or a bottle of bleach in a kitchen cabinet, they will find these harmful items.
Putting some necessary changes in place in your home is important for all new parents. Adoptive parents in particular can use this as an opportunity to begin bonding with your new child. When you adopt, it could take years, months or weeks for your child to come home. What adoption in South Africa means is that you need to be prepared for it to happen at a moment’s notice.
Once you start preparing and decorating your home for your child, you’ll realise there are many limitations and restrictions. These are all there to protect the health and wellness of your new child. The first step is to prepare the basic safety aspects of your home by checking the fire extinguishers and installing fire alarms. Next up, you’ll need to install items like safety gates, cupboard locks and covers for wall sockets. Here are some of the areas of concern you’ll need to look at next.
Ensure all windows and doors are safely secured
Doors and windows are particularly dangerous for a small child so it’s important these are always secured. Windows can be open, but must have locks in place so they can’t be opened further. When your child first arrives at your home, they won’t be aware of its layout so it’s important that all glass surfaces have stickers on them so your child can’t run into them. Also, it’s important that your child’s bed is away from the doors or windows so they can’t fall out.
Preventing falls of any kind
Falls are one of the most common accidents in the home for young children. You’ll need to take additional precautions when your child becomes mobile and starts crawling. Ensure that toys aren’t left lying around, especially near any stairs. This will give an added bonus of your home being neater, something that is always an issue with young children in the house. It’s also important that you place non-slip pads under all rugs and furniture. Otherwise your child might push on a chair and hurt themselves as they fall.
Don’t let your child become burned
It’s an unfortunate reality that young children suffer burns far more often than older children and adults. The majority of burns happen as a result of hot liquid. Just picture tiny hands pulling mugs of coffee from kitchen counters and pots from the stove top. It’s important that you make your home as safe as possible so these can’t happen. To ensure these accidents don’t happen, it’s important that all mugs and pots are placed away from the edges of counters and with the handles turned inwards. It’s also important that you ensure your child’s bath water isn’t too hot by testing the temperature using a thermometer or placing your elbow into the water.
Prevent your child from drowning
Children can drown in as little as 5 cm of water. You may think your child is perfectly safe, but the reality is they could be drowning in a small bath filled with a little amount of water. It’s important that you always stay with your child when they’re in the bath. Make sure that you drain the bath as soon as you’ve finished and don’t leave the room until it’s completely empty.
By installing a few simple changes in your home and being vigilant, you can easily create a home which is safe for your child. There are plenty of child-proofing gadgets available for sale. But, remember, nothing could be as important for your child’s safety as your supervision.