With
visions of singing mobiles in your head, you look at the room which will become
baby's nursery. Perhaps it is currently an office, a guest bedroom, or just a
place to store stuff and close the door! Whatever the room's current purpose,
it may at first seem like a daunting task: new nursery
furniture, paint, wallpaper, and all those little touches to make it into
a cuddly room where baby will be spending much of her time. However, with a little
organization and planning, creating the perfect baby nursery will be enjoyable
and relaxing. Here's ten tips to get you started:
- Create a layout
of the room - Measure the room from wall to wall, and place little markers
on the floor so you know where the furniture will be. There's nothing more frustrating
than buying a crib, only to find out it doesn't quite fit in the space where you
imagined it would go. Make sure the crib doesn't go near the window, as it could
be a strangulation hazard due to blind cords or draperies. At the minimum, you'll
need a baby crib, a change table,
and a set of drawers. Optional items include a rocking chair for those sleepless
nights, a bookcase for the books you'll read at bedtime, and storage. Lots of
storage. Clothing accumulates fast, and gets larger.
- When painting
and decorating, think of the future - Unless you want to re-paint the room
in about four years, avoid obvious baby colors like pink or blue for the walls.
Your toddler might think it too "babyish" when they are older. Instead, add accents
to the walls to give it a baby feel. Easy-to-remove wallpaper borders, little
wooden box shelves with teddy bears, a net in the corner for stuffed animals,
and baby drapes are great choices that can easily be swapped for your future "grown-up"
preschooler.
- Take the time to look for a crib - The crib is the
central piece of the nursery, and will also be the most expensive item in the
nursery. Baby will spend at least 90% of her time in here, so take the time in
researching for one. Fortunately, there are a lot of online stores to help you
choose, as your local mall may only have a few styles. Look for sturdy hardwoods.
If you plan on having more children, you want this to last. Check the latest government
safety standards and look for a JPMA
(Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association) certification of safety on the crib.
Some things to consider is the spacing of the slats, which should be spaced no
further than 2 3/8 inches apart. Be careful of decorative cutouts in the headboard
and footboard, which could become strangling hazards should baby's clothes become
caught in them. Mattresses should be no more than two finger widths apart from
the sides of the crib.
- Consider convertible furniture - An option
is to a crib that can easily be turned into a toddler's bed, or even a couch!
However, check to see if you may have to buy the conversion equipment separately,
and be aware that those high crib walls will become a disproportionately large
headboard and footboard. Also available are combination dressers/change tables.
Check to make sure the change table portion is big enough for a growing baby.
Many people have ended up buying a separate change table anyway, simply because
baby suddenly grew larger than what the dresser supported, and there was a lack
of space for both clothes and diaper accessories. A change table can easily become
a storage area for toys, simply by adding plastic or wooden boxes.
- Look
at the light in the room - Place the crib in an area that doesn't receive
too much direct light, such as the morning sun or a glaring streetlight. There's
nothing worse than opening your eyes in the morning and receiving a full dose
of sunshine rays, and baby certainly won't like it either!
- Finish the
nursery at least a month in advance - This way any fumes from the paint, mattress
and new furniture will have dissipated. You can make any small last-minute changes
or enhancements and you know where everything will be. Most importantly, it's
one more thing checked off of your endless baby list!
- Avoid carpeting
- If possible, look into hardwood or cork floors for the nursery. They are healthier
for baby and easier to clean. Carpeting collects and stores dust and can harbour
dust mites and other allergens. If the carpet is old and you're thinking of adding
new carpet, don't. Unless buying special organic carpeting, standard carpets emits
fumes from the glue in the first few months of being installed.
- Invest
in a comfortable rocking chair or glider - You will get a lot of use out of
it. From feeding baby to reading a bedtime story to rocking him to sleep, you
will come to realize that this is the most important piece of furniture after
the crib. The best place for the chair is in the nursery, but having it in the
living room is a fine idea as well. (Though you might have to kick a family member
off it!)
- No nightlights - If baby wakes up in the middle of the
night crying, it's not because of the darkness. Being scared of the dark requires
a cognitive imagination (to draw up monsters and other things that go "bump in
the night.") Infants have no special sleeping times after birth, but their minds
learn to associate dark with sleep and light with awake time. A nightlight could
interrupt this natural pattern.
- Safety and baby-safing the room
- Before you know it, baby will be crawling and then walking! Think of safety
when building the nursery. Don't place any floor lamps in the room, since baby
may chew on the cords. Cover all unused outlets with safety plugs. Avoid drapes
that go to the floor and blinds with cords dangling too low. Don't hang anything
above the crib, just in case it happens to fall - or a little hand reaching up
to tilt it. When decorating, go for water-based latex paints, which have minimal
fumes.
With the nursery finished, take a few moments to admire your
handiwork. Imagine who will soon by occupying this space. Yes, parenting will
be hard at times, but one day your healthy, growing infant will smile at you in
the morning, and you will know that everything is worth it. About the Author:
Chris is the editor of Good-night-baby.com. Find tips, information and resources
on cribs, baby
bedding and baby
nursery ideas. <
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