The second you have your first child, there’s always something to worry about. Are they safe? Are they happy? Are they hungry? Parents have a million (or more!) concerns when it comes to their kids. Every day is an adventure (or misadventure), and every day new challenges arise. The most important challenge that’s always on a parents’ mind is how to protect their children. But what about protecting your home from your child?

With so many things to think about and worry about as a parent, keeping your home looking and smelling clean doesn’t have to be one of them and shouldn’t be one of them. It’s pretty much a given that when you have a child, things around the house will be a little messier and a little less organized than before. Kids spill, they have accidents, they get sick, and well, life happens. Usually, these mishaps are easy fixes, however, when a spill or accident happens on your carpet, it can be a whole other story. Here are the 6 best ways to protect your carpet from your toddler.

Chair Mats/Splat Mats

One great way to protect your carpet from your toddler spilling on it is to not allow them to eat near any carpeted areas in your home. Well, that’s easier said than done. Some homes have carpeted eating areas and even if not, some families like to enjoy meals or snacks in rooms other than the kitchen. If this sounds like you, it’s a great idea to get a chair mat or splat mat to put under your child’s chair when they eat. These are perfect for protecting floors at mealtime. They’re lightweight, easy to move around, and most importantly, easy to wipe up if there’s a spill.

Shower Curtain

There are so many activities other than eating that your toddler can be doing around the house that may damage your carpet. From painting and coloring to lounging around drinking a juice box to using toys they’d been playing with outside, if you want to protect a larger area of your carpet or give your kids some space to play, get a little creative and lay a shower curtain down on the floor for them. This will ensure that all messes are easy to clean up and you can even find one with fun patterns and designs that they’ll love!

Get a Cheap Area Rug

An alternative to the shower curtain is using a cheap rug for your child to play on. You can get one for a great price in your kid’s favorite color, and if any messes occur, you can just throw it right in the washing machine. Easy peasy.

Spill Proof Cups

We’re sure you’ve heard the expression “there’s no use crying over spilled milk.” Sure, that’s a great saying until your kid is spilling that milk all over your carpet! Spill Proof Cups have to be one of the best inventions ever. Give your kid one of these and you’ll never have to worry about crying over spilled milk, because there won’t be any.

Mats by All Doors

As soon as kids step outside to play, they always seem to be covered with dirt and mud within seconds. Don’t let your kids drag this mud inside on their shoes. Put mats by all the doors and make sure to teach your kids that there are no shoes allowed inside. Make sure they always keep their shoes on the mats so that your carpet doesn’t have a chance of ever even seeing the bottoms of their muddy soles!

Carpet Protector

When you have your carpet professionally cleaned, make sure to have the cleaner apply a carpet protector. This will give you some extra protection from your little one doing any damage to your carpet.

If you have any other tips for keeping your carpets safe from toddlers, leave a comment and share!

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