Preparing for a new Arrival? Start with a Safe Nursery

When expecting a new addition to the family, certain items always seem to make the baby shower gift list: car seat, crib, clothing, blankets, cuddle toys, bottles and plenty of diapers! We have a few to add to help enhance safety and convenience in your home as you prepare for the new little person in your life. When you start with Leviton quality products, you can rest assured that they will provide long-lasting service and protection to help keep your mind at ease from day one.

Electrical safety is particularly important in any home where children live or will visit.  Here are a few “must haves” to include in the nursery for your newborn and in any child’s room – no matter what his or her age – because safety always comes first!

 

Tamper-Resistant Outlets – these outlets have a built-in shutter mechanism inside the receptacle that blocks access to the contacts from most foreign objects so that only a two- or three-prong plug can be inserted. This is an especially important safety product to install in every room of a home where young children are present. Children tend to be curious by nature and have been known to try to stick objects like paper clips, keys and hairpins into outlets. Should a child get as far as to actually insert the object into the outlet, the shutter mechanism in a tamper-resistant outlet will block it from hitting the energized part of the outlet, helping to prevent electric shock. We at Leviton strongly recommend tamper-resistant outlets as opposed to “outlet covers/protector caps” because determined children can remove the safety caps, exposing them to potentially two hazards – electrical and choking, should they put the cap in their mouth.

LED Illuminated Switch – this switch gives off a soft glow when in the off position, making it easy to locate in a dark room. It offers the perfect way to easily find the light switch in a nursery or child’s room during middle of the night visits to calm a crying infant or comfort a child who awoke from a bad dream. 

Antimicrobial Switches and Wallplates – help create a healthier living environment in your home! Switches and wallplates are frequently touched by family members and visitors of all ages each day. This can lead to the daily build-up of bacteria. Antimicrobial switches and wallplates easily replace traditional devices and offer a practical solution to help combat the spread of harmful bacteria and provide an extra layer of protection. When cleaned regularly, the antimicrobial additive inhibits 99% of bacterial growth.

We would also like to recommend a few other “must haves” to make life a little easier and more convenient for you.

Decora Smart® Switches, Dimmers and Plug-in’s -automated, app-controlled lighting has never been easier than with the Decora Smart family of products. We partner with the leading technologies to provide a solution for every home and preference. Here’s a sampling of what our smart technology can help you with:

  • Use the free My Leviton app to control lights when rocking baby to sleep 
  • Dim the lights via app as your child drifts off to sleep
  • Hands full? Using our Voice Dimmer with Amazon Alexa® Built-in, you can ask Alexa to play music or remind you to add diapers or wipes to your shopping list
  • Set lighting schedules for lights to turn ON and OFF automatically at preset times; or create scenes such as “Naptime”, “Playtime” or “Bedtime” for instant lighting options at your fingertips 
  • Have a ceiling fan in the room?  The Decora Smart Fan Speed Controller is the ideal way to control it using your smartphone. This way, once you and baby are settled in, there is no need to get up to turn the fan ON/OFF or adjust the speed

USB Charger Outlets – maximize the utilization of your outlet space and de-clutter. Many of the latest baby monitors, sound machines, night projectors, and toys require an adapter to plug in and charge, but with Leviton USB outlets you can use the charging ports to power up, keeping the outlets free for lamps, bottle warmers and other plug-in products.

Dimmers – consider replacing standard switches with dimmers to control the light level in the room so you can dim the lights before bedtime and raise to full brightness for playtime.

Motion Sensors – motion sensors automatically switch lights ON and OFF when you enter/exit a room or space. You’ll be doing a lot of laundry, so installing a motion sensor in the laundry room can be a big help as you enter and exit with overflowing laundry baskets!  You can also install them in closets for automatic lighting when it comes time to put all the clean laundry back in its place. Do your little ones have a designated play area?  With motion sensors, you can say good-bye to the constant reminders to “turn the lights off!”.  When they leave the playroom, the lights will automatically switch off. 

Favorite Color? Renu® has you covered!

As you plan the color scheme of your baby or child’s room, keep in mind that the Leviton Renu collection of switches, dimmers, outlets, USB charger outlets and wallplates offers 20 popular colors to select from so you can match or coordinate these devices with your choice of paint colors. It’s a fun way to accessorize the room or add a pop of color.  Plus, you can mix and match colors to express your own personal style. And, even better, the faceplates snap ON and OFF without the need for re-wiring so you can change colors at any time as your child grows or his or her “favorite” color changes.

 

From our start in 1906, Leviton has been a family-owned and operated company, paving the way for generations of people to live and work with greater ease and security. As such, it’s always top of mind for us to bring the safest, smartest and most sensible electrical products to today’s families for years of reliable service you can trust as your family grows. 

 

For more inspiration, download our Home Inspirations Guide,