Don't really know what a proper baby furniture set should contain? As a first time parent, it can be quite confusing when it comes to all the different things you think you might need for your newborn. Advertisers states that you would need a really exclusive full furnitured room, complete with all the "indispensable" items that they will tell you is a must.
You could buy a complete furniture set from the start, and that way get all the basic stuff in one go, but I personally think, from my own experience, that to buy baby furniture one by one is better. I will explain to you why in this article.
You will undoubtly need some basics. A crib and a wardrobe is a good place to start. Let's elaborate from that.
Remember that the baby will play on the floor for the first year or so. Maybe what you would want in first hand is an nice soft rug, and some colourful big storage boxes to keep the toys in, so they are easy to reach for the baby. The rest you can buy along the way, when you really know what you're in need of. Later on he will start to enjoy books, maybe then you will get a good steady bookshelf (in the right size of course) for the nursery. Get my point? Get the stuff when you know the needs for your baby. For a small baby that only still crawls, it's much nicer to have floor space to move around on, than a lot of unused furniture around. And, lets face it, how much time is the baby going to spend in the nursery room? You baby is going to be with you for some years at least, before he starts to enjoy (and don't need you to take care of and keep an eye on him of course!) playing by himself in his room.
A good place to start is a roomy wardrobe. If you invest in a good wardrobe you can keep it for years. Remember that it has to be steady and safe. You want to be absolutely sure that it can't overturn when your baby starts to lean on to it trying to walk, or climbing in to it. If you are unsure that it will be steady enough, secure it to the wall.
Besides that, the crib, of course, is another furniture you will need. Maybe you use a cradle for the first six months or so, but after that a crib is really a good place for the baby to sleep. See to it that the cradle is a place that he or she will enjoy staying in, and a place for it to relax. Place some nice pictures on the wall above the crib, maybe get a crib mobile or some nice things to hang from the sides of the crib. As the baby gets bigger, you can have a softer start in the morning if you place some interesting things beside the crib, that the baby can reach and play with for a while (place a chair beside the crib). In that way you can rest a bit longer in the morning, and the baby gets a nice start to the day by playing and discovering the items. Remember to swap the things regularly, a baby wants to discover new things always and gets tired of playing with the same things too long. You can do the same with all the toys. If they start to just laying around, and the baby is not playing with some of them, take those away for awhile. Take them out again after a couple of weeks, and those toys will be as good as new and exciting to play with again!
But, lets return to the other "must have" nursery furniture. What more should you get? Well, a nursery table is a piece you will need there if you are not doing the diaper changing somewhere else in the house, personally I have it in the bathroom, because I want access to running water. The rest is really up to you. Maybe you want a little table and some chairs or whatever, that will make the room look comfy, but don't rush in to things buying too much when the baby is small.
Beatrice Stephenson is a freelance writer on family health and recreation.
For more info on baby furniture and safety, please visit www.babysafety.efven.com
You could buy a complete furniture set from the start, and that way get all the basic stuff in one go, but I personally think, from my own experience, that to buy baby furniture one by one is better. I will explain to you why in this article.
You will undoubtly need some basics. A crib and a wardrobe is a good place to start. Let's elaborate from that.
Remember that the baby will play on the floor for the first year or so. Maybe what you would want in first hand is an nice soft rug, and some colourful big storage boxes to keep the toys in, so they are easy to reach for the baby. The rest you can buy along the way, when you really know what you're in need of. Later on he will start to enjoy books, maybe then you will get a good steady bookshelf (in the right size of course) for the nursery. Get my point? Get the stuff when you know the needs for your baby. For a small baby that only still crawls, it's much nicer to have floor space to move around on, than a lot of unused furniture around. And, lets face it, how much time is the baby going to spend in the nursery room? You baby is going to be with you for some years at least, before he starts to enjoy (and don't need you to take care of and keep an eye on him of course!) playing by himself in his room.
A good place to start is a roomy wardrobe. If you invest in a good wardrobe you can keep it for years. Remember that it has to be steady and safe. You want to be absolutely sure that it can't overturn when your baby starts to lean on to it trying to walk, or climbing in to it. If you are unsure that it will be steady enough, secure it to the wall.
Besides that, the crib, of course, is another furniture you will need. Maybe you use a cradle for the first six months or so, but after that a crib is really a good place for the baby to sleep. See to it that the cradle is a place that he or she will enjoy staying in, and a place for it to relax. Place some nice pictures on the wall above the crib, maybe get a crib mobile or some nice things to hang from the sides of the crib. As the baby gets bigger, you can have a softer start in the morning if you place some interesting things beside the crib, that the baby can reach and play with for a while (place a chair beside the crib). In that way you can rest a bit longer in the morning, and the baby gets a nice start to the day by playing and discovering the items. Remember to swap the things regularly, a baby wants to discover new things always and gets tired of playing with the same things too long. You can do the same with all the toys. If they start to just laying around, and the baby is not playing with some of them, take those away for awhile. Take them out again after a couple of weeks, and those toys will be as good as new and exciting to play with again!
But, lets return to the other "must have" nursery furniture. What more should you get? Well, a nursery table is a piece you will need there if you are not doing the diaper changing somewhere else in the house, personally I have it in the bathroom, because I want access to running water. The rest is really up to you. Maybe you want a little table and some chairs or whatever, that will make the room look comfy, but don't rush in to things buying too much when the baby is small.
Beatrice Stephenson is a freelance writer on family health and recreation.
For more info on baby furniture and safety, please visit www.babysafety.efven.com
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