While exciting, parenthood can be scary, since children come with added responsibilities. However, there are ways that a new parent can prepare for the journey. Here are four tips to help homeowners settle easily into their new parenting journey.
Cleaning and Pest Control
Pest encroachment at home poses various health hazards to residents, including acting as carriers for diseases. According to the United States Census Bureau 2021 statistics, 2.9 million people reported seeing both roaches and rodents in their houses. Pesticides are an effective pest control method. After pest management, a parent should do a thorough home cleaning to remove traces of pesticides as they may contaminate the child’s food and cause allergies or poisoning. Alternatively, homeowners can turn to natural pest control methods such as plant extracts. Parents should also declutter the house and drain any stagnant water as these provide good breeding grounds for pests.
Parents should disinfect all joint house surfaces, toys, and kids’ feeding equipment to prevent exposing their children to microbes. Parents should also clean all baby clothes, towels, and bedding using baby-safe cleaning products on baby laundry since babies have soft and sensitive skin that reacts to harsh chemicals in traditional cleaning products.
Roofing Repairs
Homeowners are likely to perform roof repairs after inclement weather damage. According to a consumer survey report, 65% of homeowners cited it as their main reason to conduct repairs. Weather damage such as missing shingles leads to draught, which raises home heating bills as warm air escapes.
A faulty roof also results in rainfall leaks causing dampness in the house, which encourages mold growth in the attic and ceiling. If uncontrolled, this growth can spread to the rest of the house through heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems. If unchecked, mold can infect foodstuffs and cause allergies and respiratory illnesses such as shortness of breath. Parents should therefore contact a roofing contractor to repair the roof before bringing the child home to prevent exposure to harm. Mold growth causes a foul smell in the house and can create white and dark spots on the walls.
Baby Room Preparation
A parent ought to consider putting together a kid’s space before the baby arrives since as soon as the baby arrives, their hands will be full with managing their child’s needs and tending to their care. For the nursery, please select a room near the parent’s bedroom so they can hear the child’s night cries. The parent may also elect to set up a baby space on the corner of the main bedroom within close reach.
Parents can prepare a conducive nesting place for their new baby by assembling furniture such as the baby crib and fitting it with a mattress and baby blankets. If the baby’s room is too cold, the parent can use a heater to regulate the temperature. In anticipating the child’s needs, the parent should also set up a changing station complete with a nursing pillow in the baby’s room. Install soft lighting features in the nursery as babies may find it hard to sleep when the lights are too bright. Additionally, harsh rays can harm the child’s sight.
Baby Proof the Home
In the contemporary world, scientific innovations have given people a shot at parenthood through assisted reproduction in otherwise difficult circumstances. According to a Clinic Success Rates Report published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in 2018, 306,197 women underwent artificial reproductive technology procedures, according to medical reports from 456 clinics. Before the baby is born, there are ways that parents can baby-proof their home to ensure the child’s safety.
Investing in quality baby gates for the top and bottom of stairs can limit access to children and keep them from falling down the stairs. If the slats on the stair railings of your home are wide enough to pose a fall risk, then it’s worthwhile to install barriers to prevent the child from going through. Childproof door locks also prevent children from opening doors and locking themselves inside rooms. Ensure that medicine is out of reach of children within lockable cabinets.
Installing baby gates on stairs and barriers will prevent your child from falling. Before your child’s arrival, put together a baby space complete with everything your child may need, including a baby crib and blankets. Also, clean the child’s belongings with child-friendly cleaning chemicals to prevent allergic reactions.