New parent essentials

There are so many must-haves you’re told to buy before having children. You don’t need them all, but some are worth considering.

Here’s our round-up of 10 buys that will help you sleep soundly at night, if the child will let you!

Smoke alarms

There are around 140 house fires every day in the UK. Keep your family safe by installing smoke alarms throughout your home. How many you need depends on lots of things, including how many levels your house has.

As a general rule, the more you have the better. You should also regularly test your smoke alarms to make sure they are still working.

Carbon monoxide detector

Carbon monoxide is known as the silent killer. The odourless gas is hard to detect but can be incredibly dangerous, especially to children. According to the NHS, symptoms of poisoning include headaches, dizziness and breathlessness.

To protect your family, invest in carbon monoxide detectors for every room in your house with a gas appliance. They will sound an alert if there’s a leak.

Life insurance

You'll want to know your children are financially secure if you're no longer around, which is why taking out life insurance cover is definitely a must-have for parents.

Co-op Life Insurance will pay out money to your loved ones if you pass away or become terminally ill.

A will

Writing a will is vital for your peace of mind when you have a family. You can name legal guardians for your kids if you were to pass away. You can also set out how you want your estate to be divided up and the financial support for your kids after your death.

A thermometer

It’s not always easy to spot when your child is poorly. Make sure you invest in a reliable thermometer as part of your family first aid kit.

They are handy for everyone feeling unwell, but it’s always been important to have one for young children as they can’t tell you exactly what’s wrong.

An insulated coffee cup

Coffee can feel like a necessity when you have a baby or small child. Having an insulated mug means it’ll stay warm for longer and you might just get chance to drink it all at a decent temperature.

Storage

You would be surprised at how many belongings you accumulate with children. Make sure you have adequate storage and then get some more because you can never really have enough.

Child safety locks

Keep your toddler safe by installing child safety locks on your cupboards. This will not only stop little fingers getting shut in doors, it will keep your kids away from any potentially harmful items in your cupboards.

A back seat organiser

This is something you never thought you would need before becoming a parent. But as soon as you go on a family car journey, you’ll realise the mess your little ones make.

An organiser for the back seats means all their toys can be stored away in between journeys. It’s also worth getting seat covers that fit under your child’s car seat to protect the fabric from sticky hands and dropped snacks.

A slow cooker

Growing kids eat a lot. So rather than spending what feels like your entire life in the kitchen, why not invest in a slow cooker. This will let you and your partner batch cook meals to eat and freeze.