Equipment: your baby's room
© DK
A baby's room doesn't have to be smart or filled with lots of expensive furnishings and equipment, but it does need to be warm, clean, safe and attractive.
Make sure furniture is easy to wipe clean and has smooth rounded edges. Any paint used should be non-toxic and lead-free. Always use flameproof fabric for bedding, upholstery and curtains. And most important, your baby's room should be fun, with plenty of bright colours, pictures and mobiles in it to stimulate her senses. The colours of nature - blue, yellow and green - are said to be soothing for your baby. Paint the walls in cheerful colours, use splashes of primary colours for curtains and accessories and put plenty of things to look at on the walls.
What your baby will need
You'll need plenty of storage space, especially above or to the side of the changing area. If you plan to build your own changing area you'll want a wide, flat surface on which to place the changing mat. Wide-topped chests of drawers make ideal changing tables because they have a large surface area and plenty of storage space for nappies and clothes. All you have to do is build shelves above wherever you place it. Make sure that the surface is smooth, then cover it with a washable covering and put a padded changing mat on top. The floor covering should be hard-wearing and easy to keep clean; consider cork tiles or vinyl with a couple of non-slip rugs. Carpet is warm and absorbs noise but is harder to keep clean.
Room temperature
A baby's room doesn't need to be very warm, but should be kept at a constant temperature. Around 18°C (65°F) is suitable if your baby is covered with two blankets and a sheet. If the room is warmer, she should have fewer blankets. If you don't want to heat the entire house at this level, put a thermostatically controlled heater in her room.
Adapting the room to your baby
Your baby's room is going to have to evolve to suit her needs as she gets older and more mobile. She'll need plenty of floor space for crawling and taking her first steps so keep furniture to a minimum. What there is should be steady and stable so she can use it to pull herself up without accidents. Be extra aware of the safety risks linked with a small, inquisitive toddler and follow the recommendations listed
here.
At some stage she will need to move from her cot to a bed, but don't rush her. Most parents make the switch between the ages of two and four. You must do it when a child becomes able to climb out of a cot. Once she has a bed she can get out of it by herself and explore her room so you need to be certain that everything is safe.
Storage space
Make sure there are plenty of places to keep toys so it is easy for your child to keep her things in good order. It's much more fun to play with toys if you can find them easily and don't have to search in several different places for all the bits. This needn't be expensive shelves and drawers or ready-made toy boxes; wicker baskets, plastic stacking boxes or laundry baskets all provide good storage for children's things. Don't worry too much about tidiness though - it's having a good time together that counts.
A blackboard or a special wall area where your toddler knows that she can scribble and chalk on may also be welcome as soon as she's ready to do so.
Basic furnishings for your baby's room
- Moses basket or carrycot and stand.
- Cot (you can put a Moses basket in the cot to begin with).
- Changing area with storage for nappies and other items.
- Storage for clothes and toys.
- Baby monitor so you can hear her if she wakes or cries.
- Low chair where you can sit when feeding.
- Good thick curtains or blinds to keep the room warm and dark.
- Dimmer switch to provide low levels of light for night changes or feeds.
- Shelves for books and toys.
- Mobiles hung over the cot and changing area.
- Pictures on the walls and on a pinboard in her room - even on the side of the cot. Change the pictures regularly to keep her interested.
Adapting a room for a toddler
- Non-slip rugs on wooden floors to make them cosier for sitting on.
- Bedside table for night-light and drinks; make sure she can't pull wires.
- Low table and chair where your toddler can sit and draw and play.
- Low hook where she can hang up her coat.
- Pinboard where she can put special pictures.
- Toy boxes on wheels.
New Babycare
Copyright © 2009 Dorling Kindersley
Text copyright © 2009 Miriam Stoppard
Posted 30.06.2010
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