Preparing a baby's nursery is one of the most enjoyable activities that the parents can do. But it is also one of the most important. Indeed, when a new baby - or toddler - is on the way, the entire house must be prepared for them. Babies and toddlers will stick their fingers into light sockets, stick their heads through bars in their cribs, and place anything and everything in their mouths. So the whole house must be child-proofed.



But decorating the nursery, just like decorating any new room for a new start, is fun.

The crib

The baby must have a crib, and the crib must be safe for the baby. Babies will chew on the bedding, so its important that the blankets don't have chemicals that can get into the baby's bloodstream. Care must be taken with toys for the same reason - and no small toys must ever be given to babies or toddlers.

As the child grows and becomes mobile, they will start investigating everything. So you'll want to make sure the crib has railings so close together that there's no chance that the baby can get its head through those railings, and become trapped. You also don't want the crib easily broken.

There are plenty of stores that will sell cribs and other nursery furniture, including Babies R Us, which is dedicated only to that age group, but also the larger chains such as Walmart or overstock. If you're on a budget it is of course possible to pick up furniture and clothing from used-clothing stores and garage sales. Buying used is perfectly fine - why pay a lot of money for clothing that will only be worn for a month or two before the child grows out of it? Used cribs have probably seen several year's use, but as long as the crib is made solidly, it should last for a long time.

Security

Baby monitors have been in use for several years now, so that parents can put a baby down and relax in another room, confident that if the baby should wake and start crying they'll be able to hear it immediately. Now that security cameras are so inexpensive, it's a good idea to incorporate one of those as well.

If a light socket is not used, make sure you place a plastic tab in the empty socket to prevent little fingers from poking them and getting a shock.

Furniture

Bassinets, changing tables, toddler beds, strollers/walkers, and portable cribs will each need to be used, for varying lengths of time. Again, unless you're planning on having multiple kids, it's usually not necessary to buy these things new - when used will do. Simply make sure that anything you do buy is not broken - or cheaply made to begin with!

All furniture, from beds to bookcases to wardrobes (for those growing toddlers!) should be child-sized. This will enable kids to easily put things away, instead of leaving items on the floor for their long-suffering parents to pick up.

Wall Decorations

Babies and toddlers are too young to know what they do or do not like, so of course the parent has to make that decision for them. You can go for stereotypes - pink for girls and blue for boys, or explore a whole range of colors and decorations.

Wall paint is no longer made with lead, which was the bane of children everywhere for many years. Nevertheless if you're going to paint the walls of the room make sure that it's an easily washable paint. Wallpaper is good, just apply it properly so little fingers can't get between any cracks, peel off the paper and eat it!

With a little imagination and a lot of care, baby and toddler will have a safe nursery in which to grow.