|
Choosing Baby Furniture - Hints and Tips
With a bewildering array of items available, choosing furniture for your baby`s room can be a daunting task, particularly if you`re going to be a parent for the first time. Style, finish and quality will all be important, but perhaps the most vital considerations are that of function and safety.
You will also need to remember that children grow very quickly, and will soon outgrow their furniture unless you make wise choices. It is now possible, for example, to buy cots that convert to beds, and which then become small sofas.
Choosing a cot
Perhaps the most important of all your baby furniture purchases will be the cot - most babies will sleep in a cot until they are at least eighteen months old. So, to find the right cot you`ll need to pay careful consideration to a number of factors:
- What size is it and will it fit comfortably into the room along with the other furniture you need?;
- Will it convert into a bed for a toddler or even an older child? (this can save money in the long run);
- Will it co-ordinate with the rest of your baby furniture and do you want to choose from a co-ordinating range?; and
- How long will delivery take?
There are also a variety of cot design features that you may decide are right for you and your baby. Drop sides are helpful, and some cots have both sides capable of dropping. A one-handed drop mechanism is the best. Teething rails are advisable to prevent damage to the cot, and to ensure that your teething baby does not get splinters in his or her mouth. Adjustable mattress heights are very useful as it means the mattress can be lowered as your baby grows and whilst play features built into the cot are attractive and fun, you may not consider these essential.
Choosing a crib or moses basket
Although a newborn baby can sleep in a cot straightaway, many parents prefer to use something smaller, especially when they want to have their baby sleep in the same room as they do. If your pram does not come with a carry cot, then you might wish to choose either a moses basket or a crib.
A moses basket can be used on the floor, but is better placed on a special stand. It is fully portable and so you have the option of having your baby sleeping nearby, wherever you may be in your home. Cribs are not as portable, but some designs have rockers, which can help soothe a baby to sleep.
Choosing a changing table
A changing table is a very useful item. Often with storage shelves or drawers underneath, it provides a safe and hygenic place on which to change your baby - some changing tables even have integral baby baths. When choosing a table, check that the changing area is at the correct height for you
Choosing a mattress
Whether for a crib or a cot, a baby mattress is one item that should always, for hygiene and safety reasons, be purchased new. Older matresses, such as those handed down by friends or family, may not comply with the latest fire safety standards and may be home to hidden germs and bacteria; similarly, parents with a family history of allergies may want a mattress that is hypoallergenic. A mattress should always fit snugly into the cot or crib, with a gap of four centimetres or less.
Safety
Whenever you buy a furniture item for your child, always consider safety first. Check for sharp edges, splinters or instability in the item and ensure it complies with the latest safety standards. Cribs and cots with bars more than 65mm apart are a safety risk as they can result in strangulation, so bear this is mind. Select the highest quality you can afford and pay some thought to the future use of the item as your baby grows – for example, are there any design features which might prove dangerous to an older baby, such as those that could trap curious fingers. On cots, dropside latches should be unreachable to children or have child safety catches on them
If you`re having a baby and have added a number of new items to your home - whether furniture, toys or other baby equipment, make a point of checking whether your contents insurance needs adjusting to reflect their value. For more information on contents insurance go to - www.gocompare.com/home-insurance
|
