All new parents can agree that parenting is hard work. In between feeding and reading nursery rhymes, you’re having to coordinate doctors appointments. And then there are all the things you need to do before you’ve even welcomed your bundle of joy into your lives. There are some essential tasks that need handling that may be pushed to the wayside due to the overwhelming amount of things to consider.
One of the most important is making sure you have bought furniture for your baby. Don’t worry if you don’t know where to start, we have you covered! Here are 4 pieces of apartment furniture parents-to-be need to invest in that could be found at a local furniture shop.
A Mini Crib
The most important furniture your baby will need is a crib. Baby’s need an extraordinary amount of sleep, so ensuring they get enough zzz’s is vital. Before you rush to buy the first crib you see, remember the issue of fitting it in your apartment. Unless you’re one of the lucky few with an amply sized apartment, chances are your space is already quite tight. Adding a regular-sized crib to your home is only going to make everything seem even more cramped.
That’s why you need to buy a mini crib. As Emma Stenhouse points out in her helpful roundup of the best mini cribs, “Mini cribs provide the perfect space for your little one to drift off to sleep, while leaving plenty of space for other essential furniture as well.”
A Change Table
A change table is another essential piece of furniture you will need to find the time to buy before your baby’s arrival. If you’ve already had a browse of changing table options you’ll know they can vary substantially. There are all kinds of different shapes, sizes, and colors. Then there are all of the different features! Some have drawers, others don’t. Some are designed to look like just another piece of furniture, while others stand out aesthetically.
How’s a mum or dad meant to know what to look for, then? Baby Center gives some handy insights on what you should keep a close eye on. But if you’re umming and ahhing about whether you really need one, consider that as they point out, parents on average change around 2,400 diapers by their baby’s 1st birthday! That’s a whole load of dirty diapers to deal with, so it’s well worth investing in a changing table to help make the process easier.
A Closet or Wardrobe
“When looking for a closet or wardrobe for your baby’s room, keep in mind that you’ll likely have your hands full whenever you need to put clothes in or take them out,” says Angela Stringfellow from Home Life Digest. “That’s why it’s so important to choose a closet or wardrobe that is easy to use.” So if you’re thinking of opting for a closet or wardrobe that has minimal functionality but looks great, you may want to rethink your purchase.
Instead, select one which smoothly opens and closes even with a slight push. It’s also helpful to get one that has ample storage space. You’ll be thankful you did as you’ll be dealing with a lot of baby clothes, so sorting through them will be much easier if they aren’t piled too tightly on top of each other. There are many closets and wardrobes that boast these features and look great, so shop around to find one that suits your requirements.
A Bookshelf
A key part of supporting your child’s healthy development is to enrich their mind. It’s for this reason you need to start regularly reading to your bub once they’re born. Not only will doing so be beneficial to their health, it will also encourage them to develop a lifelong love of reading. Needless to say, you’ll need to buy some books in order to do so! There are countless titles to choose from, so to narrow down which ones are worth buying we suggest you take a look at Motherly’s recommendations.
They’ve compiled a list of 25 books suitable for babies that include titles like The Very Hungry Caterpillar, Runaway Bunny, I Love You Through and Through, and Where is Baby’s Belly Button? Once you’ve started compiling your baby’s book collection, you’ll need to buy a bookshelf to store and display them. Picking one is quite straightforward, although we advise that you get one that will stand the test of time as they continue to grow.
