From the moment you bring your precious infant home, his or her (or their!) room will become a special place for you and your child. Even if you keep your baby in your bedroom at night for the first few settling-in months, you’ll probably use the baby’s room for ch­anging diapers and other everyday tasks. The sooner you and your child feel comfortable in the nursery, the better. (Yes, you need to feel at home in the baby’s room, too, as you’ll be spending a lot of hours there!)

Once you’ve got the crib, comfy chair, changing table, and optional extra bed in place, the rest is child’s play. If your family includes older ­children who share baby’s room, their needs will obviously dictate a lot of the furnishings and accessories. If the room is for the baby only, you may be tempted to go for broke with decorative treatments. There’s no harm in doing this as long as you avoid items with small parts or cords, but you don’t have to spend a fortune on special effects. Babies can’t really see details or pick out the nuances of color until they’re six months old or so. Until then, bold patterns in black and white serve much better to stimulate their eyes and brains.

If your taste tends toward the lively and modern, a baby’s room in black and white with red accents may be just the ticket. If not, however, you can provide short-term toys and board books that stimulate baby just as well and decorate in a way that better suits your style.

1. Buy storage-friendly furniture
Get a crib with drawers underneath or buy a crib skirt and some under-bed boxes, which are great for stashing all those excess diapers and wipes. Still short on storage? Consider a cube system like the IKEA Expedit, which can grow with your tot and be outfitted with drawers and doors to hold toys and books on the bottom. Plus, you can stash clothes they’re growing into or growing out of on the top.

2. Trick out your closet
Use every inch of space already available in your nursery by maximizing your closet’s storage. Little outfits are short, so double your closet space easily using a double-hang closet rod on one side. Then use a portion of your closet to create flexible shelving by adding a sweater bag. Both can be found at The Container Store.

3. Containerize everything
Find attractive open bins for the shelves of your changing table and give each bin a specific category. Inside your closet you’ll want to use clear, stackable containers so you can see exactly what’s there. Label them with size and season. For example, seeing “12-month, summer clothes” is a lot more helpful than having to take down a huge bin of hand-me-downs from the top shelf and then having to dig through. Important: Whatever you do, skip the toy bin! It just becomes a repository for all the tiny pieces, and ends up with stuff on top of it, so your child will never be able to open it to retrieve those stuffed animals anyway.

4. Go vertical
Have a small nursery? No problem! Utilize your vertical space — backs of doors and even the walls are often overlooked areas. Have excess toiletries or tiny shoes? Put an over-the-door shoe bag with clear pockets on the inside of your closet door so that you can compartmentalize all the small stuff and keep it from cluttering up your surfaces. Stick the thermometer in the top row right next to the Infants’ Tylenol, so next time your baby has a fever in the middle of the night you know exactly how to find it (and it’ll be too high for them to reach as they grow!). Have a ton of pictures or other keepsakes to display? Don’t clutter your dresser — hang floating shelves on the wall to show off your treasures. It will look intentional instead of haphazard, and once your child is more mobile, he won’t be able to destroy them so easily.

5. Toss the junk
Having a baby often means you’re showered with gifts. But that doesn’t mean you have to keep and love everything Cousin Gertrude gave you! Take a picture of your kiddo wearing the item or playing with it, write her a thank-you note and put it in the outbound pile. As a parent you need to constantly manage both the inflow and outflow of stuff in your space, so dedicate a bag or two for things that are no longer in active use, and once they are full, get them out. Store the items that you love that make the cut for a future child, but pass others along to a mommy friend with different taste or donate them. Swimming in excess samples from the hospital? Stash a few in your diaper bag, use up the ones you love and toss the rest! You don’t need random stuff you’ll rarely use.

When used correctly, car seats can save lives. Choosing a car seat is only half the battle; knowing how to fasten your child into his or her seat is also vital. Make sure everyone in the family is aware of the new updates, including grandparents and caregivers.

The American Academy of Pediatrics have updated their recommendations:

1. Choose a seat that is appropriate for your child’s size.

Children must ride in a rear-facing car seat until they are 2 years old and have exceeded the height and weight requirements of the seat. Keep in mind that when you move up car seats, for example a rear-facing seat to a forward-facing seat, you lose a bit of protection, so it’s best to keep your child in the safest seat for as long as possible.

2. The car seat must be installed properly.

Infants should ride in the rear seat, at a 45 degree angle that avoids slumping and breathing problems. Never place a car seat in the front seat. Follow the manual’s instructions for installation and if unsure, have the seat checked at your local fire station. Improperly installed car seats are common and lowers the effectiveness of the seat.

3. Your infant must be buckled in properly.

Another area where parents unknowingly go wrong is buckling their children into their seats. Make sure the straps are placed in the slots below the shoulders and the harness is snug. The retainer clip should be secured next to the child’s armpit, never down by the belly.

Visit the AAP for more information.

Image: lafayettecountyhealth.org

If you’re a new parent, you probably have your child’s diapering area set up appropriately. Diapers and wipes – check. Diaper cream – check. Baby powder – you may want to hold off on. Although baby powder is sold with baby essentials and has that sweet smell that few can resist, it’s one of those items that just isn’t necessary. In fact, baby powder can be possibly harmful, especially to a young infant.

Traditionally, baby powder has been used on infants to keep the skin soft and dry, thus fighting off diaper rash. Even though it feels and smells good, pediatricians do not recommend the powdery stuff and neither does the American Academy of Pediatrics. Since baby powder is expelled into the air, your little one can breathe it in and irritate his or her lungs. This may lead to further breathing difficulties down the road.

Although baby powder isn’t recommended, you don’t have to throw away that bottle quite yet. First, make sure that it is made from cornstarch instead of talc, as many are. Cornstarch is better for the skin and the lungs, and isn’t inhaled as easily. Second, you can use the baby powder in skin folds and creases that may be subject to irritation. Just make sure you don’t let the powder build up in the skin creases and that you don’t shake the powder near baby’s face.

And of course, when setting up your diapering area, you now know that you don’t have to include baby powder into the mix.

If you do have several bottles laying around from your child’s welcome home gifts, consider using the baby powder for other applications. For example, baby powder works great when at the beach and you need something to get the sticky, wet sand off your feet. Or if you’ve skipped a shower (or two), toss some in your hair for a refreshing lift. Baby powder can also be used on oily spots and spills, as it absorbs the oil.

Image: mothersspace.in

Although the standards for crib safety are always changing, many parents still use secondhand cribs from previous siblings or other children. After all, cribs are only used for a few short years, if that, so why spend the big bucks on a new one?

While it’s ideal to buy new because of the safety regulations, this isn’t always practical for families. And thanks to the Internet and resale websites, buying used cribs has never been easier. If you plan to buy a used crib, take these precautions to ensure the safe sleeping of your little one.

1. The crib should not have dropside rails. Although once popular, these cribs are being recalled all the time and are actually being banned in upcoming models.

2. The hardware should be secure. Make sure that the bolts are tightened and screws are secured into place. If anything looks loose or eroded, skip it.

3. The mattress should fit snuggly within the crib with no gaps. Kids are known for wrangling their way into tight spaces, so make sure this won’t happen with a tight fit.

4. The width between the crib slats should be 2 3/8 inches apart or less. This prevents kids from getting their head stuck through the posts, yet is large enough that arms and legs won’t become wedged between the bars.

5. Check the recall list. Before you settle for anything new, make sure the crib isn’t one of the millions that have been recalled. A quick search online will do the trick. If possible, get all the paperwork and see if there is an extended warranty.

Of course, buying new is always best, especially as higher standards are implemented into crib safety. A popular alternative are the convertible cribs, which can be converted into toddler and day beds for more use and economic value.

Image c/o: kalanicrib.info

You may be looking forward to the sunny summer months, but are you stocked on all the warm weather essentials? Before you reach for just any tube of sunscreen, check out the ingredient list. Too often, parents think their kids are protected from the sun when really they’re not. Just slathering on sunscreen and sending your kids out to play isn’t enough.

To start with, experts recommend that infants under 6 months should avoid the sun. Since this isn’t always possible, make sure small infants have the necessary gear, including sun hats with SPF protection.

When choosing sunscreen, most parents make the mistake of selecting a kid’s brand with a high SPF. Surprisingly, there’s not a big difference between kid and adult products. Instead, the differences lie in the ingredients.

Always choose products that are physical; made with minerals instead of chemicals. The sunscreen should be made with zinc oxide or titanium dioxide. These minerals sit on top of the skin and start working immediately.

Chemical-based products on the other hand, require 30 minutes to absorb into the skin and start acting. Plus, since these ingredients leech into the skin, they are more likely to cause allergic reactions or skin irritations.

Sunscreens that contain either zinc oxide or titanium dioxide will protect against UVA and UVB rays. And, you don’t need to buy anything over an SPF 30. These products contain more chemicals and are not necessary. Instead, stick to SPF 15 or 30 and don’t go out of your way to buy kid’s products; adult ones are just as good.

Looking for recommendations? Try Coppertone Water Babies Pure and Simple formula that contains zinc oxide and comes with a moderate price tag. Other products are offered from the natural brands of Badger or Loving Naturals.

Don’t forget to replenish your sunscreen supply, as they’re no longer effective after one year.

Image c/o The Fun Times Guide

When it comes to cleaning baby bottles, a simple washing with hot water and dish soap is just not enough. Plastic bottles are a breeding ground for viruses and bacteria so it is important to sterilize the bottles properly. It is especially important to sterilize the bottles right after purchasing them and before use.

How to Sterilize baby bottles

1. Gather the bottles, caps, nipples, and pacifiers together to prepare for sterilizing.

2. Wash the items with hot water and soap.

3. Fill a pot with water and place on the stove. Turn the heat on high until boiling point.

4. Carefully place all bottle parts into the boiling water. Do not submerge more than the pot can handle. The water may bubble over.

5. Keep the bottle and items in boiling water for five minutes.

6. Take the bottle and its parts out of the pot of water with tongs or anything that may help you to avoid burning yourself.

7. Set items on a dish rack to air dry or dry them with a paper towel.

For more information on sterilizing baby bottles, check out baby basics on babyzone.com.

Image: Wikimedia Commons