Planning a nursery brings with it great joy allowing your creative skills free-reign.

But did you know that on top of style you also need to think ‘safety’ when setting up a nursery?

I have worked for nearly 35 years in child safety and here are a few tips for you – simple precautions you need to take to help make, and keep, your child’s room safe:

1. Anchor the furniture

I’m sure you have all seen that video going around of the small boy being trapped under heavy drawers while his twin brother works to rescue him, well that nightmare scenario is all too real. The reason for this is that these days many drawers are designed so they are heavier at the front than at the back for aesthetic reasons so it’s simple physics that they will topple.

You add more weight to the front and it’s going to fall over, so you need to anchor them with furniture straps or anchors. It’s also important to install furniture straps or anchors properly. You need to follow the instructions and always secure them to a solid part of the furniture and a solid part of the wall.

2. Wind up the cords

Another important item for the nursery or your child’s room are blind cord wind-ups. These keep blind cords out of the reach of babies and children in their cots/beds.

Long cords can lead to strangulation, but remember to keep cots and beds away from windows and window fittings whenever possible.

Also look into installing toy chains, Toys can be a tripping hazard so keep toys in order. Remember that tidy rooms are less hazardous to babies and small children.

3. Light up the sky

Night lights are another must-have. A nightlight not only brings comfort but is also a safety item if you need to tend to baby fast.

I always recommend installing door stoppers in a nursery to help save little fingers and stop children accidentally getting locked in their room if their door slams shut. They’re best placed near the top of any door to help prevent accidents.

4. Remove choking hazards

If your baby has started to crawl, get down on all fours and look up at the world from the point of view of your child.

It’s amazing the hidden dangers you will immediately identify, such as dropped coins and toy parts (choking hazards) and dropped medicines/tablets (a poison and choking hazard). Pick up anything you see on the floor and regularly sweep or vacuum.

These are just a few precautions you can take to help make your child’s room safer.

Do you have any tips to add? Share with us in the comments.

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