How to Involve Your Child In Designing the Baby’s Nursery

(Today’s article is written by Patricia Dimick, a freelance writer – check out her social media outlets and bio at the end of her awesome baby nursery tips!)

When a new bundle of joy is soon to arrive into your household, you’ll need to prepare a nursery for the baby. Moving your toddler into a big kid’s room and setting up the nursery for the new baby can be an exciting time for everyone. By allowing your toddler to help you with selecting new items for the big kid’s room and for the nursery as well, you prepare the whole family for the upcoming changes. You’ll need to think about safety and age-appropriateness of the furniture while making the updates to your home.

Choose the wall color


When choosing the wall color for the new baby’s room, you could select a traditional baby pink or light blue if you know the gender. Another option is to choose a neutral color, which is great if you don’t know whether the new baby will be a boy or a girl. Colors such as light sunshine yellow or mint green are considered gender-neutral. Perhaps you’d rather go with an altogether different color scheme, allowing your toddler to select from a few acceptable choices.

Pick a theme

Many parents like to pick a theme for the sibling’s room. Perhaps you’d like a focused design such as elephants or strawberries. You don’t have to limit yourself to a single concept though. Think themes like farm animals or flowers. Spend some time with your little one sifting through design magazines and favorite picture books to get some good ideas.

Decorate the ceiling

The ceiling is a vast, uninterrupted space that is often forgotten in the decorating process. Since babies spend a lot of time lying on their backs, consider painting the ceiling with a mural. Wall decals are another option for ceiling decorations.

Analyze the furniture

Consider the furniture you have for the nursery. You may need to replace a piece or two that your toddler wore out. If safety standards have changed, you may need to replace items for safety reasons. Some pieces may just need sanding and refinishing or repainting.

Consider safety

Check the crib and decide if you need to buy a new one. Anchor any furniture like tall shelves or chests of drawers that could pose a threat. Secure rugs to the floor to prevent slips and tripping. Inspect the electrical outlets and place electrical plate covers over them. Look for changing-station dangers such as the potential for falls. Make sure that all medicines, ointments and vitamin drops are stored out of the baby’s and the toddler’s reach.

Ensure enough storage space


With a new child coming into your home, you’ll need to ensure that there is enough space for baby clothes and other items like large cases of diapers and wipes. Stock up on baby supplies well in advance so you don’t have to make an emergency run to the supermarket after the baby is born. Make a place for the new baby’s toys, such as fabric cubes or clear storage bins placed on a low shelf. Remember that you may receive some gifts for the new baby and these items will need a place to be stored as well.

Keep it simple

With so many cute accessories for babies, it’s easy to over-decorate. Keep things simple and choose a single focal point of the room, like a piece of furniture or artwork. Wall decals are an inexpensive and attractive decoration that can be removed as your baby grows out of the theme. Put a nightlight in the baby’s room, making sure you get one that uses an LED bulb that doesn’t get hot.

 

Practicality should have the priority over aesthetic appeal for the baby's room. #BabyNursery #Tips Click To Tweet

Don’t get carried away


It’s easy to get carried away while preparing a new sibling’s room due to all the choices and great baby products on the market. Consider what the room needs to be used for when decorating. You’ll also need to think about the room’s size and how long it will be a nursery. Practicality should have the priority over aesthetic appeal for the baby’s room. A little bit of decorating goes a long way and will leave you with time to enjoy your toddler before the new baby is born.

What color/ theme did you pick for your baby’s nursery?

Catch our best tips on how to prepare a toddler to a new sibling – all the advice has been “road tested” at three times with our kids!

Share your best tips with me in the comments!

Thank you,

Patricia Dimick

You can find her here (Facebook), here (Twitter) and here (Pinterest).

BIO: Patricia Dimick is a mom from Denver, a freelancer and a passionate table tennis player. As a content creator who works from home, she is also a fan of nature and DIY jobs. She loooooves coffee.