How to Make a Plan for a New Baby’s Stuff
As your stomach expands and your due date grows near you may be realizing that you are going to be facing one of your largest home organization challenges yet! Standing in the middle of a big baby box store planning for what you need it will become apparent that this tiny addition to your family is going to come with A LOT of STUFF! Keeping it all organized will help you hold together your sanity in the months to come when sleep becomes a luxury.
Laying Out the Room: Keep it simple. Home organization is easier when you can limit the amount of stuff you are dealing with. It is also smart to keep a nursery clear of extra things to trip over since you will be spending a great deal of time in this room while half awake in the dark. Plan your furniture around your walls keeping the center of the room clear. When you need to walk from a rocking chair or crib to the changing table you will limit the chance of tripping while tired and holding the baby.
Do you have a tight space? Use multipurpose furniture. A countertop height dresser with a changing pad added to the top works as well as having a separate changing table. This way when your child grows out of diapers you can keep using the dresser. Baby furniture limits the styles and finishes available to you. Buying a dresser allows you to find something exactly the style you’re hoping for. Make sure it is the right height for you. Is it easy to lift something on and off it? Your diapering equipment can be kept within reach but out of sight in the top drawer!
Little Outfits Abound: Before you know it your little ones wardrobe may be larger than yours! Every time you blink that first year it may seem like you need the next size up in clothing. A home organization system is necessary just to keep up with their wardrobe changes. For ease of dressing the baby store only baby’s current size outfits in their drawers and easy to get at closet space. Container of clothes that are still too big should be stored on your high up shelving. Put labels on your containers clearly marking what size is inside. You don’t want to miss anything when it is time to bring out the bigger size. Just like adult clothing different brands will size their clothes differently. When sorting your clothes ask friends with babies what their experiences have been. Compare different clothes after you wash them to check sizes. You don’t want to take out a brand new outfit and discover it is too small!
Stuffed Animals and Blocks: As your child grows the toys they like will grow and change as well. Keep your home from becoming overpowered with kid gear by storing toys your child isn’t ready to play with yet. Store 6-9 month toys next to your 6-9 month clothes, this way you can introduce new toys when you are ready to switch over your baby’s clothes drawer.
Keep your toys fresh and new once your child has grown into all of them. Set up a home organization system to rotate your toys. Put part of your toy collection in a container and tuck them away. Mark them with a date, try giving yourself a month. When the date on your container comes up bring it out. Put out the toys inside and store away a different chunk of toys. You’ll have new toys every month without spending any money! If you don’t have a lot of extra toys try rotating rooms with your toys. Playing with a train in the downstairs family room may seem like a whole different experience than in the upstairs living room.
Having a baby can bring big changes to your life and home. And it can certainly change how store things in your home. All these new items make home organization even more important. Start with a plan and stick to it! This will make sleep deprivation easier to deal with!
Heidi DeCoux is a productivity, organization & profitability consultant and creator of The Fast-Filing Method organizing home paperwork. To get a FREE home office filing system e-Solutions Kit, which features the audio class: The Fast & Easy Way to Get Organized and Stay Organized Forever, visit https://www.ClearSimpleLiving.com.