More Than Just Cribs: Tips For New Parents on What a Nursery Needs

The first tip for all new parents: relax! It sure is a huge responsibility to get a house ready for your new child, but it doesn’t have to make you lose your cool. Slowing down and thinking about what is needed to get a nursery ready is a lot more productive than getting worked up and not knowing where to begin, and will get you further in the long run.

A baby’s new home above all must be safe and secure. But after baby-proofing the common areas, like the living room and the kitchen, new parents might be too exhausted to remember some of the smaller details of the nursery itself. So many new parents tell stories about taking care to choose the absolute best crib, and totally forgetting about a changing table!

In order to not get too overwhelmed when preparing your child’s new home, here is a simple list of the must-have furniture items that should be in any nursery, and a few fun and helpful extras that your child will love, too.

Crib – Above all, a crib is the most important thing to have around for a child. Make sure that your crib is new, not used. A crib is not a time to shop vintage. Cribs should have at least one railing that drops, allowing for easier picking up and putting down of your child. The railing should lock securely, however. There shouldn’t be enough space for your child to stick anything more than a hand between the crib’s slots, either.

Mattress – The most important part about a mattress for a crib is its fit. Make sure that the mattress is properly sized for the crib you have, and even go as far as to invest in one that allows for additional securing to the crib itself. The purpose here is to make sure there is no space for your child to get under the mattress, get a hand stuck, or flip it over somehow. Mattresses should be durable and well-covered, too.

Cradle – A helpful extra item, one that some parents even use in place of a formal crib, is a cradle. Cradles are great for spending the night out of the nursery, whether in a hotel or at grandma and grandpa’s house. A well-made crib should be secure, with no parts that can easily be folded or broken down at a child’s touch. A cradle should also have a mattress that is firm and fits well in place, just like the mattress in a crib.

Changing Table – This is another important part of any nursery. Make sure that there are safety straps, so that your baby does not roll off of the table during changing time. Make sure that the table itself, like the crib, is safe, well-made, and secure.

High Chair – A safe and secure high chair is a crucial purchase for new parents. The high chair should grow with your child, so get one with adjustable safety straps and a tray that is easy to pull forward or push backward. Make sure there is little to no wiggle room. A high chair is not supposed to be uncomfortable by any means, but it should be sturdy. Too many accidents occur when a child manages to stand up in one, or slip out under the bottom of the tray. Locking devices to make sure the high chair doesn’t fold up are important, as is making sure that both the chair part and the tray part can support the weight of your child.

Playpen – Ideally, your child won’t be spending all that much time in a playpen, as it is more beneficial for his or her learning to have more room to move around and adult supervision. However, during meal preparation times, when a phone is ringing, or if there’s something important to be working on, parents need to make sure there’s a playpen around. Whether wooden or plastic, the most important things to look out for is that the playpen is secure. It should be impossible for your child to knock the playpen over, and the sides should be impossible for your child to pull down.

When you have many children, buying prams buggies can be a test. Byron Jonas found the pushchairs at Go Bubba Go very flexible in this manner.