GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS

The baby is on its way, and it’s time to prepare a room for the new arrival. Nurseries should be functional and provide a soothing environment for sleep, diaper changes and play. You also want to make sure that the nursery can grow with your child, which will really help your long-term budget.

BOY, GIRL OR UNISEX DESIGN?

Some parents-to-be like to find out their baby’s gender before the birth of the little one, while others rather enjoy the suspense until baby’s arrival. You definitely need to take that into consideration when setting up your nursery before the big day. You would not want to have an all pink room decorated with flowers and butterflies when you might end up having a surprise baby boy, right?!

Unisex colors include white, off-white and tan, but also lighter shades of green and purple. Decorations like alphabet-themed gear, cheeky monkeys, moon & stars and cartoon characters like Mickey and Minnie Mouse can be used for both baby boys and girls and are still in order when your infant grows into a toddler and then into a pre-schooler.

Tinyme.com.au offers great baby art items and nursery decorations like removable wall stickers, wall decals and canvas art that look beautiful.

A girl-oriented nursery may be painted in shades of pink or light yellows and your baby-girl may appreciate decorations adorned with flowers, butterflies, fairies and cartoon characters like Strawberry Shortcake, while a boy’s room can be kept in hues of blue and feature cars, dinosaurs and boyish cartoon characters like power rangers and transformers. The possibilities are endless.

MUST-HAVE ITEMS

Some things every nursery should have are:

• A cradle or bassinet.
• A crib, maybe even one that can be transformed into a toddler bed later on. I used to have a crib that could easily be made into a toddler bed by removing one side of railing and replacing it with one that had a cutout that allowed my toddler to easily get in and out of bed. The fact that I didn’t have to buy a new toddler bed really helped my budget at the time.
• A changing table that also has storage options for diapers, wipes and other baby items.
• A dresser/chest of drawers for baby clothes and such.
• A comfortable rocking chair or glider with ottoman for the nursing mother.
• A baby monitor to keep your infant safe. There are a variety of models on the market: one way monitors that allow you to hear what’s going on in the nursery at any given time, two-way monitors that allow you to communicate with your infant son or daughter and video monitors that let you not only hear but also see your little one.
• A colorful mobile to hang over the sleeping area and/or maybe another to place over the changing area will help distract and keep your baby occupied and happy during diaper changes.

SAFETY

Crib

The slats or posts of the crib should be no more than 3 inches apart, because a newborn’s body can slip through the openings otherwise. Also check the space between the mattress and the sides of the crib to make sure that you can fit no more than 2 fingers in between as your little one’s limbs could get trapped if there is too much room available. The same counts for decorative cutouts and such – avoid them if possible. Don’t buy second-hand cribs, because some older ones might have been painted with lead-based paint which can cause severe health problems. Remember that babies taste-test everything, including, but not limited to furniture.

Curtains and Blinds

Avoid blinds with long pull cords and loops to prevent strangulation. Short curtains that your infant can’t reach are probably the safest option.

Room and Furniture

Playtime on the floor can be great fun for your baby. But keep small objects that can be swallowed and pose a choking hazard out of the nursery and out of baby’s reach. It is advisable to consider corner protectors on sharply angled furniture, as well, just as much as outlet covers to prevent electric shock. Babies will get into everything as soon as they start to roll over and crawl, and even more so when they begin pulling themselves up on furniture. So prepare early and secure shelves, dressers and other heavy items that can fall over to the wall with brackets made just for that purpose. They are available in the baby section at most department stores and at hardware stores.

There are also other safety items available that keep your small child from getting into drawers and opening cabinet and closet doors, so that you won’t have to worry about pinched fingers and the like.

If you just plan ahead, your new arrival will be able to enjoy a safe and colorful childhood in a nursery you decorated just for them.

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Our range of personalised products include : wooden puzzles, name labels, kids invites, baby clothing, personalised bags, personalised stationery, nursery wall stickers, and kids canvas art

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