Creating the Perfect Environment For Your Baby

Creating the right environment for your child can be a difficult task. But, it can also be a lot of fun. Starting by decorating your baby's nursery, you get to use your creativity and incorporate some of the fun spirit that you possess.

Decorating baby's nursery is one of those tasks that parents look forward to in planning for baby's arrival. Choosing the colours and the theme for the room is part of the fun. Should you choose yellow so that it doesn't matter if you have a girl or boy, or should you go with a bright red, white and blue theme? In today's world the parents often know beforehand whether they are having a girl or boy, so choosing colours appropriately is a lot easier. But if you choose not to know the sex of your baby before its born, choosing a colour that will be appropriate for either is a wise decision. Although blue may be suitable for a girl, pink is definitely not a colour any boy in today's world would welcome.

Before choosing the colour you wish for your baby's room, selecting a theme may inspire your choice. Should you go for an animal theme, an underwater fish theme, a cartoon character theme, a Victorian baby theme, or whatever-the choices are endless. It is a very personal decision, but there are a few things that you must consider with any choice you make. Your theme should fit in with the rest of the house. For example if your house has a decided country feel to it, it may not be wise to choose a really modern theme for your baby's nursery. Perhaps in that case baby animals, a Victorian theme, a cloud theme, or even a neutral gingham theme may be more appropriate.

You also need to consider having enough storage when outfitting the room. You will need storage for diapers, toys, books, clothes, etc. Shelving and storage cubes are great solutions for this. Even consider using an adult dresser as a change table. You can buy change pads to sit on the top of the dresser. Adult dressers are usually at an appropriate height for changing baby and can store a lot of clothes and diaper change items in the drawers out of sight. This will also allow for a less cluttered environment and the dresser can grow with the child. Other storage solutions for out of sight clutter could be a trunk or toy chest. Check with your local hardware centre for other storage ideas.

When deciding on furniture for the baby's room, it is a good idea to choose items that are convertible and can grow with your child. Like the dresser mentioned above, other items that can convert to the baby's growing needs will be less expensive in the long run. A crib that converts into a youth bed is a good investment. Having a rocking chair for mom in the room that will be a stable item in the child's environment as he/she grows is also a good choice. Expandable book shelves that go from holding stuffed animals for baby, to books and CD's in later years can also be money savers. The good news is that you should be able to find all of these convertible items in any theme you choose.

It is a good idea to use easy-to-remove decorating items in the baby's room to allow for easy redecoration as the child grows. You can use removable stickers on the walls, easy to replace (an inexpensive) themed curtains, artwork, rugs and throw pillows. A young boy's love of trucks can soon change to a zest for hockey or baseball and you need to be quick to adapt for their changing interests.

You also need to keep safety in mind when choosing items for baby's room. Tall cabinets will be irresistible for a child to climb. Make sure wall shelves are securely hung so that if child hangs on them they won't come down. Use low shelves as much as possible so the child can easily reach their toys. For really young children take care to use electrical outlet safety plugs. Also use easily cleanable materials as little hands can be sticky and messy. You can use theme appropriate slip-covers on chairs for easy removal at cleaning time.

It is fun for the parents to create an initial environment for their new arrival, but you need to be flexible as the child grows. Remember it is their environment and the room should reflect the child's interests. To help the child learn and grow, the room should encourage their creativity. A great room for a child needs to be inspiring for the child, as well as be fun and functional.

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