Is Your Home Grandchild Ready?

Getting your home ready for a visit from your grandchildren is important, not just to protect your own home and valuables, but also to protect them. The best way to enjoy this time is to be prepared. This involves keeping them safe, keeping your home and belongings safe, and everyone being happy and entertained. Our grandparent tips can help you achieve this!

GRANDPARENT TIPS FOR HOME SAFETY

Prevent falling furniture and televisions

Ensure all your televisions are secured to the wall, or TV cabinet. Also make sure that large furniture pieces are attached to the wall with furniture wall straps. This will stop furniture toppling over onto a child, such as display cabinets, chests of drawers and bookcases. Young children can climb on furniture, causing it to fall on them, so securing these items will ensure their safety.

Restrict access

Make sure doors and windows are shut so that little ones cannot go outside without you. If you have stairs or specific rooms you don’t want them to enter, consider putting up baby gates to restrict their access. Having baby gates on kitchen doors can ensure their safety when it comes to stoves, sharp items and other items in the kitchen.

Chemicals and poisons

Lock away all your medications, cleaning products, chemicals, and poisons. Remember to do this outside and inside. If you can’t lock things away, then make sure they are out of reach and not accessible. Remember to think of everything like garden poisons and fertilisers, batteries, and alcohol.

Sleeping

Make sure that if you have cots or beds for your grandchildren that they are age appropriate and meet safety standards. For example, a cot mattress should fit perfectly, and the cot shouldn’t include have any pillows or stuffed toys.

Safety accessories

Install age relevant safety accessories to make your grandchildren’s visit safe. These can include child safety latches and locks for doors and cupboards, corner furniture guards and power point plugs. It is also a good idea to hide or organise your electrical cords. Child/baby stores, large retailers and hardware stores carry a great range of options for these safety items.

Breakables

Put breakable items that are normally on display away or out of reach. This will save your items and protect anyone from getting hurt from breakages such as glass. This can include ornaments, picture frames and perfumes. Also put away any valuable items such as jewellery so it doesn’t get broken or lost.

Outside

For outside play make sure that the area is free of dangerous items such as gardening tools. Make sure you don’t have any water features or containers with water that are accessible. Make the area as tidy and child friendly as possible.

GRANDPARENT TIPS FOR THE GRANDCHILDREN

Allergies

Do your grandchildren have any allergies or dietary requirements? If so, make sure you know all the details and know what to do if an allergic reaction does occur. Also make sure that you have suitable food for them.

Medication

If your grandchildren take medication, make sure you know how and when to provide it and make sure there is enough. Also store it out of reach.

Routine

Know your grandchildren’s routines, if they are young they will more than likely have a daily routine for eating and sleeping. The more you know and adhere to these routines the easier your day will be!

Contact details

It’s a good idea to get a list of important contact details for your grandchildren for the situation their parents cannot be reached. This should include alternative contact numbers for the parents, the grandchildren’s doctors and the like.

Grandparent tips on entertainment

• Make sure that you have age-appropriate games for your grandchildren. For example, board games with small pieces aren’t suitable for babies and toddlers as they may swallow the small items.
• If you have older grandchildren you need to provide a safe online environment. This guide can help with online safety for grandparents and carers with that.
• Also allow for their interests and age when planning their entertainment, so a 6 year old might like barbies but a 13 year old may have outgrown them.
• Organise books, toys and things like pencils and paper to have available.
• Organise outings such as trips to the park, beach, zoo, movies and more.
• Share your hobbies with your grandchildren, such as cooking or craft like painting or knitting. This will teach them valuable skills and they get to spend quality time with you.

Grandparent tips to ensure you are prepared

• Young children can be a lot of work and very demanding, so make sure to take time for yourself when they are sleeping or having downtime.
• Remember the little things, like making sure your hot drink is out of reach or that the hot pan on the stove has the handle turned inwards.
• Prepare some items to entertain and play with your grandchildren with (see tips on entertaining your grandchildren).
• Have items on hand to make sure you can do certain activities with your grandchildren, such as ingredients for baking.
• Get plenty of rest before they arrive and after they leave, it will be tiring!

Click here to check out our grandparenting toolkit for everything you need to know about grandparenting!