When your baby starts to outgrow that baby nursery theme that you spent so much time and energy creating, it’s time to update the nursery and create a room that your toddler will love. Building a room around a theme will help your child enjoy their room. Personalize the room and let your child be involved in the design process. This is a perfect time to boost your child’s self esteem and urge them to feel like a big kid.
The first step is to get your toddler excited about the idea. Try transitioning to a toddler bed at this time. Let your child know that this is their special bed and start by letting them pick out their sheets and blankets. By this age, most kids will have a preference when it comes to cartoon characters, trains, airplanes, or other themes. Letting them make the decision about what direction to go will help them transition more smoothly and benefit developmentally from the experience. Once you have the bed design in place, move on to the walls.
New paint can be an exciting addition to a room. You may want to choose the paint yourself if you want it to last through future redecorating, but if you enjoy painting and don’t mind repainting every couple of years, go ahead and let the paint color be your child’s choice. Choose a border that matches the theme. If you don’t want the border to be glued to the wall, choose one that is self-adhesive. These can be easily removed later without damaging the paint. Putting the border at your child’s eye level instead of around the ceiling is a good option for a toddler room. There are also lots of stick-on decals available in many themes at hardware and retail marketer’s stores. These are very inexpensive and can add a lot of personality to a room. Posters are also an inexpensive option and can decorate a space very effectively.
New blinds and curtains can quickly add to the theme. Shelves can be easily hung and can display toys, pictures or other items that also help pull the theme of the room together. Besides the decorations, you want to consider organizing the room to meet your toddler’s growing needs as well. Get rid of those infant rattlers and space-robbing baby gyms. Update with more age appropriate toys and games. Make space for your toddler to work and draw or color.
Update their closet by moving the bar down to their level. Invest in some childrens clothes hangers and encourage your child to start selecting their own outfits and dressing themselves. A hat or coat rack installed inside the closet door down low will encourage your child to start taking care of their own room by hanging hats, bags and coats when they enter the room. Placing a bench in this area will encourage them to put on their own shoes and start to take care of themselves. Your efforts will help your child grow confidently and make life easier for you and your child.
If at all possible allow your child to be involved in the decision to move into the new bed and to help pick it out. If you already have the bed and purchasing a new one is not an option then consider letting your child pick out new sheets and covers for it. This will make it more their bed in their mind and make the change more positive for them.
Once you have the toddler bed set it up in the child's room for several weeks before you actually move them into it. This will give them an opportunity to get used to it so it will not seem so new. If you need to you can even start having the child get into the toddler bed each night as part of the bed time routine and lay in it for a little while. Maybe while you read them a story, and then move into their crib when to actually sleep. Move everything possible from the crib into the toddler bed to reduce the actual amount of change. You can try having them take their day time naps in the bed but still sleep in their crib at night. When you are actually ready to start using the toddler bed full time you should take down the crib and move the toddler bed into the same location in the room to ease the transition.
Patience is the order of the day especially if your child is reluctant to give up their crib. Some children take to their new big boy or big girl bed without any qualms but for many it is a very trying change. Try to avoid doing it at the same time there are any other changes happening in your toddlers life. If they are just starting potty training, changing day cares or the addition of a new family member.
No matter what you do your child may just not be ready for this change in which case you just need to be patient and wait a few months and try it again.
Both Ron Maier & Steve Welker are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Ron Maier has sinced written about articles on various topics from Marketing, Advertising Guide and Marketing. About the Author: Ron Maier is the owner of Only Kids Hangers, a leading provider of . The right. Ron Maier's top article generates over 2400 views. to your Favourites.
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