Are you currently looking to redesign your home, rethink your interiors or switch up your flooring? If so, then the first question I have for you is this: Do you have children, or plan on having children at some point in the near future? 

 If so, then I implore you - put away the expensive shopping list, ignore the calls of a luxury walkway and go and grab yourself a cheap carpet and some wipeable wall paint. I promise you will thank me for this later. 

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There is nothing that screams 'unprepared!' quite like the chic and fashionable parents-to-be whose houses are adorned with mirrored tables, crystal vases, velvet furnishings and a fluffy, cream carpet that you dare not even breathe on. They haven't yet experienced sticky fingers. They don't know how a stream of wiped snot can make fibres clump together. Let's forgive them for believing that they won't mind Hinching the shiny surfaces every.single. minute....but the fact of the matter is, raisins get mashed into carpets and end up looking like something much, much worse. Save the luxury one for when they've left home and for the love of sanity - buy a cheap carpet for now.

Cheap Carpets and Wipeable Walls -  Preparing for life with kids 

A Cheap Carpet? - Why do I need one?

You may have read this far and come to the conclusion that you'd be far better off with laminate flooring, and for some areas of your house I would agree. Flooring for your kitchen or bathroom for example, should not be carpet. Similarly, for our playroom we opted for laminate flooring due to the nature of the activities we would be carrying out. There are some really valid reasons for choosing an inexpensive carpet in other areas of your home however...

Carpets soften blows - this will be a godsend when your little one is learning to 'pull up' or walk, because they WILL fall down. Tumbles are easy to come by, and they hurt much more on hard floors.

Carpets offer purchase - If your baby is learning to crawl, then they will be much more successful in their efforts with the 'grip' from a carpet than they will be on a shiny polished floor where they keep sliding around. 

Carpets are not slippy - Again, when your child is learning to walk, this will help immensely!

Better for tummy time - tummy time is a really important activity for babies and small children. Not only does it build up their head and upper body strength, it also helps them to notice and feel different changes within their body (such as the digestive system), all of which ties in with their speech and language development later on. Soft, carpeted floors are much more comfortable for tummy time, and will help to make it more enjoyable for your baby - especially as many babies are tummy time averse at the start anyway!

Just don't spend a fortune on your carpet because babies and tummy time = baby sick.

Keeping your carpet clean:

Affordable carpets are still easy to keep clean with the right equipment. I can't promise they will be totally stain free forever, especially with kids around (that's why you don't want to be spending a fortune on a carpet until they're older!) but with little one's around you're going to want to keep them as hygienic as possible. There are a few different products I have tested out which I can recommend for keeping carpeted areas in good condition:

1 - Vorwerk Kobold VK200 -  the 'ultimate homecare cleaning system' it has lots of clever technology and an option to dry clean your carpets at home using their carpet freshener and Kobosan powder. 

2 - Miele Complete Vacuum cleaner - A good all rounder with a powerful suction and cleaning ability.

3 - Dyson handheld cord free vacuum cleaner - Perfect for carpeted stairs without having to carry a cord around with you aswell, and great for doing regular, daily, upkeep of your carpet cleaning. 


So, aside from opting for a cheap carpet, wipeable paint on your walls, non-breakable furnishings and a great vacuum cleaner... is there anything else you're doing to prepare your home for the pitter patter of tiny feet? Let me know below....

Love Sarah x