Cabinet locks, outlet fillers, corner bumpers, door knob covers… once you have a baby, your whole home seems to become a litany of protective devices! Stop the insanity by instead decorating your home with baby-friendly items which are as gorgeous as they are safe.

The first step is to replace any square cornered or glass tables with round options. If a child runs into this, they’ll get a bruise instead of their eye poked out. Choosing chairs without arms is another good way to avoid corner collisions.

If you love it, lock it up. Put anything you truly cherish behind glass so little hands can’t get at it. When your heart is broken because the last gift you got from your mother before she died lays smashed on the floor (oh yes, that happened to me!), you’ll wish you’d dealt with the situation sooner.

Mmmm, tassles! While they may not look tasty to you, they sure do to a baby. Get rid of your beaded and bedazzled pillows and lampshades and replace them with washable covers and simple shades. You’ll appreciate this down the road when they become stained or damaged from childhood accidents.

When you love your baby, you know you must protect them from danger. At the same time, when you love the possessions in your home, you must protect them from the baby. As this goes both ways, you need to put the most effort possible into the project. That said, you do not have to sacrifice a beautiful home just to have a baby.

What sort of changes have you made since bringing baby home?