The Crib: A Blog for New Parents

Posted by pecuellar on 05/18/08 - 08:30 PM

It is common knowledge, even to those without children, that you have to baby-proof your home.It is imperative that you place breakables out of reach and take measures to prevent toddlers from hurting themselves by taking measures such as plug protectors and cabinet locks.

What people sometimes forget is that a baby can easily take over your entire house.Your kitchen can be overwhelmed by bottles, baby utensils, bottle cleaners and other baby paraphernalia.Your carefully decorated living room can completely disappear among exersaucers, swings, playmates, and toys.If you are not careful it will be impossible to tell that adults live in your home.

Before you relinquish all things adult try a couple of tips to help maintain balance and order.

• Stash a small basket in a corner or behind a door.This will give you a place to store random toys but keep them handy.
• Limit the number of toys allowed in you family area to a handful.You can rotate these out regularly to keep your child interested.
• Choose toys with the fewest parts for family areas, like books.Shy away from toys with several pieces like blocks and puzzles because these pieces can get scattered making the mess seem bigger than it really is.
• When purchasing toys, opt for collapsible ones.These can be flattened and stuck in closets or under beds when not in use.
• Designate certain rooms or areas as toy free zones, like the dining room or office.

You can provide stimulus and activities for your children with out letting their “stuff” take over completely.