Regardless of whether you are already a parent or are about to become one, it’s essential to have child-friendly furniture in your home. Firstly, you have to think of your child’s safety, because kids are prone to many accidents. Secondly, you have to be aware of the power of destruction kids have. So, you have to protect your kids and the lifespan of your furniture at the same time. Here are seven valuable tips for selecting child-friendly furniture that can help you avoid some disasters.
No. 1 Be aware of shapes
Even adults can sometimes get hurt in sharp edges and corners. Now just imagine a kid running around the house, not paying attention to where he’s going – an accident is bound to happen. Therefore, to minimize the danger, you should opt for rounded shapes. For example, look for a round dining room table and furnishings with rounded edges.
Choose a round dining room table to be safe
No. 2 Child-friendly furniture has to be stable
First-time parents long for that moment when their baby will become a toddler and, thus, more independent. However, they don’t realize that once their child can walk, they will soon learn to climb. Therefore, any climbable piece of furniture has to be very stable. Otherwise, it can fall on top of the little one. Thus, you should avoid lightweight furniture, particularly bar stools and narrow and tall bookcases.
No. 3 Make sure that it’s not toxic
It is a well-known fact that kids lick and chew everything they can get their hands on. So, apart from carefully choosing their toys, you should pay attention to the other materials in your home as well. When selecting child-friendly furniture, make sure the paint used on it is not lead-based or toxic. And as a general rule, avoid any Volatile Organic Compounds in your home.
No. 4 Furniture endurance is key
As previously mentioned, it’s not just your kids that need protection, but also your home. Small children tend to spill, smudge and break things a lot. Therefore, if you don’t have big pockets to afford to change your furniture every couple of months, opt for endurance. Namely, it’s best to choose furniture pieces made out of solid materials that can endure wear and tear.
The furniture you choose must be durable.
If you own valuable wooden furnishings that you can’t part with, one of the best solutions is to rent a storage unit. This way, you’re able to put away these pieces before they get damaged but still keep them. However, pay attention to the storage conditions because humidity can deteriorate the wood. And make sure that you wrap the furniture properly to protect it.
No. 5 Choose colors and textures carefully
Usually, the living room couch is the primary victim of your child’s power of destruction. Therefore, you should avoid buying a very fancy-looking and expensive one, because it will get ruined immediately. Here are some ideas on what to look for:
- Easy to clean. Because of all the accidents involving food and beverage spills, your couch must be easy to clean. The best solution, in this case, is a leather couch that you can wipe off. Or, you can treat the material regularly with a special surface protector.
- Hides stains. It’s impossible to have a kid and not have some unremovable stains on your couch. Therefore, choose a darker color combined with a patterned fabric to help hide the stains. Some experts say that a dark purple is a good option.
- Endures a lot. Children like to jump on the couch even when you tell them not to do that. Therefore, you should look for one with a solid frame that won’t break immediately.
- Is comfortable. Just because it has to endure a lot, it doesn’t mean that it shouldn’t be comfortable. After all, the living room is where your family spends the most time together. So look for a couch that is comfortable for both you and your child.
Child-friendly furniture should be easy to clean.
No. 6 Child-friendly furniture should include a lot of storage space
Once you have a child or more of them, your home gets invaded by toys. And no matter how organized you are, your child is not. You will always step on or trip on various toys around the house. Nevertheless, it would be best if you still had places to keep them or hide them from guests. Yes, having multiple cupboards and drawers is helpful, but you should also look for space-saving furnishings. This is an excellent solution for adding more storage space.
No. 7 Always take extra precautions
To ensure that both your child and your furniture are protected, you should always take extra precautions. Here are some tips on how to do that:
- Where possible, anchor your furniture to the wall. This way, you can ensure that it won’t fall on top of your little climber.
- Place the couch away from the windows. Since you can’t protect your sofa from all the jumping, you can protect your child from jumping out of the window.
- Use many soft items, like rugs or pillows. These will help break the fall of your kid. However, avoid those that have tinny finishes that your child can easily swallow.
- Hide the electronics in cabinets if you want to keep them safe. It would be best if you also looked for a TV cabinet to prevent your child from pulling it. Or, where possible, mount it on the wall.
- To prevent your kid from being exposed to electricity, avoid floor lamps. They are very easy to access and pull.
- Opt for low furniture in the living room. This will protect your child from bad falls, and it also looks good.
Conclusion
Having kids is never easy and protecting them from all the dangers is impossible. However, when it comes to your home, you can do your best to provide a safe environment for your child. Of course, accidents will still happen, but you can try to minimize the danger. At the same time, you need to be aware that your home needs some protection from your kid as well. Otherwise, you will end up having to refurnish it constantly. So, use these seven tips for selecting child-friendly furniture to protect both your child and your home.
Furniture Solutions, the furniture store in Northern Kentucky, carries the most popular brands like Ashley Furniture, Coaster Furniture, Sealy Mattress and Sauder. You will be amazed at the incredible value and low prices we have on a large selection of bedroom suites, dining room collections, sofas , chairs and all manner of accent furniture that will make your home new. Those who are in communities that are further away just need to call us and we will do our best to respond to your needs. When you drop by, you will be greeted by the friendliest sales personnel you have ever been served by. We can hardly wait to meet you and help you make the right choice.