Designing a nursery is so much fun.
There are so many gorgeous ideas for creating the perfect haven for your baby in magazines and on Pinterest.
The only problem being that most of these nursery designs fail to address a few of those pesky practicalities that plague parenthood.
Llike how on earth you clean up carpets after your child has emitted industrial scale effluent from all orifices at once?
Or where on earth you store several hundred nappies that you had to buy because they were on special offer?
And why on earth your child must wee on the one thing in the nursery that really won't wash?
So looking back, this is a list of 12 utterly essential tips that I wish I'd taken into account when designing the nursery. I do hope they help.
And if you're looking for more inspiration check out the fab ideas from other bloggers at the bottom of this post ... and feel free to add your own ...
1. Massive Basket for Soft Toys
How many soft toys can one small child have? It's the easiest gift for everyone to buy you so you'll end up with loads. And they will breed, triffid like.
Get an enormous basket for the nursery into which you can ram them all - quickly.
2. Floors You Can Clean
The nursery floor is going to take a beating.
Big time! With all sorts of stuff that you don't even want to think about.
Get either carpets in colours that won't show up every little stain or cover with easily washable rugs. Even better reduce allergy risks with wooden floors and washable rugs.
If you do need to get un-speakables out of carpets baking soda (bicarb) is your best friend!
3. Hooks for Dressing Up Clothes
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| Ikea Krokig Hooks |
If you've got room for a child-sized clothes rail get one but if not, put some child-height, child-friendly hooks on the wall so they can easily reach their super hero outfit of choice. And even ... maybe ... learn not to leave them all over the floor ... eventually.
We have got these one's from Ikea which are nice bright colours and super chunky.
4. Drawer Dividers to Keep "Stuff" Sorted
Matching socks & rummaging for the clean knickers that really must be there somewhere are two of the least fun aspects of motherhood!
Make life easier and use draw dividers to keep socks separate from swimming costumes etc.
And if you create some kind of order there's the vague chance that when they're older they might even learn to put things away in the right place.
5. Create Extra Hanging Space with Suspension Rods
Until they're much bigger children's clothes don't need anywhere near the full length of the clothes hanging space in even child sized wardrobes.
So create extra hanging space with low cost suspension rods.
And you can then use hangers to keep everything from hats & mittens to blankets organised.
6. Watch Out for Blind Cords
Blind & curtain cords can be fatally dangerous for children.
Buy blinds specially designed for children's rooms or remove cords or fix out of reach.
7. Create Extra Storage Space with Baskets Under Everything
However big your house your children's stuff will take it over.
Eke out storage space by putting baskets under beds, chests of drawers and wardrobes. Just don't forget to yank them out and vacuum on a regular basis.
8. Reserve Space for Hand Me Downs
Hand me downs are planet and purse friendly! Children's clothes - in particular - last so little time that it doesn't make sense to buy new.
But it does mean that you need somewhere to store hand me downs from others that don't yet fit plus the outgrown stuff you're going to give away.
Reserve plenty of space for all this stuff and make sure it's out of reach of curious fingers!
9. Reserve Space for Bulk Buys
Unless you're cloth diapering, diapers and wipes are going to cost you a small fortune. You can make enormous savings with bulk buys but then you need somewhere to store your purchases. And it needs to be in the nursery because otherwise your addled brain will forget you bought them and buy more!
We have baskets on top of the wardrobe into which you can fit hundreds of them.
10. Buy Waterproof Sheets from the Start
Even when your children are tiny and in nappies accidents will happen and mattresses will get soaked with all sorts of stuff.
Hippy Chick and Luna do waterproof sheets in all sorts of sizes that are really comfy and allergy friendly. And whilst you're at it do get a mattress protector for your own bed.
11. Protect Floor Cushions
Nursery floor cushions are lovely for snuggling up and reading books or playing on the floor.
They are not lovely when they have been weed on whilst potty training.
Unless you have an industrial sized drier they are almost impossible to get clean and dry before they go mouldy without taking to the laundrette.
Much better to have a waterproof cover inside - if you can't find the right size you could easily make them from the latest waterproof sheets which won't stop the cushions being comfortable.
12. Have Somewhere to Store Pictures
Of course you want to encourage your little Picasso but there's only so many scribbles that can adorn the walls so you'll need something to keep them in.
If you're really organised file them in a ring binder with plastic covers you can label. If not get a big art folder and ram them in.
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