Home Furniture Reference

Kim Proulx asked:




When decorating the nursery and choosing baby furniture it’s important to understand your baby’s needs. There are specific milestones that all babies go through during their first year and getting the right baby furniture to meet their growing needs is essential.

When your baby is first born, expect mostly sleeping, some crying, a fair amount of eating and of course, elimination. That’s about it, but it is adorable. This is the perfect time to use the Da Vinci Cradle which is smaller and more protected than a crib. You can also keep the cradle at your bedside to rock the baby to sleep and respond quickly in the night. This is a safer choice than keeping your little one in bed with you.

However, cradles shouldn’t be used after baby starts to be more mobile which happens during the second and third months. From totally dependent newborn he or she will slowly get more voluntary control over the body. Endless hours are spent inspecting hands and body movements. Increasingly aware of his surroundings, your face will be recognized and you’ll love it. Smiles appear more frequently especially when you are seen or heard (This drops off in the teen years!). Neck strength will greatly improve along with mobility. There could even be cooing and swatting at mobile toys.

At this point, baby will need something less restrictive such as the Da Vinci Convertible Crib. In fact, this one convertible piece of baby furniture could last from home from the hospital to out the door to college. Convertible cribs reassemble to create a sturdy toddler bed, practical day bed and even a comfortable full size bed. Some convertible baby furniture comes with a conversion kit, other times you’ll need to purchase a kit separately.

Another item of baby furniture you’ll want is the Da Vinci 3 or 4 drawer dresser / changer. Also convertible, this is a safe perch for diaper changes through baby’s first year of life. Later it re-invents itself as a dresser as your child’s needs change. You’ll need this for clothing, blankets, diapers and toys to begin with.

During months four through seven, expect a predictable routine to emerge. Learning to coordinate the use of vision, touch, and hearing, developing motor skills of grasping, rolling over, sitting up and crawling, your baby will mouth, manipulate and explore all objects of interest. Your baby will learn to cry, whine, show displeasure and make it all worth it by developing a strong, tangible attachment to you. Those babies know how to get us, don’t they?

About this time you’ll want to make sure you have an item such as a Da Vinci Bookcase. You will want to have a place for visual and motor skill development toys. This is also the ideal time to begin reading daily with your little one, and you’ll need a place to keep books.

From eight months to a year, baby becomes increasingly mobile, developing quickly enough to keep you on your toes, crawling and possibly walking, exploring everything. Sitting up, rolling around, and grabbing things…you’ll never know what’s next! Retire the baby changer; Use a pad on the floor instead. Baby-proof your home as best you can, and just keep one eye on your little one at all times!

It’s a fun time of life, one filled with discovery and a great deal of love. It does take a lot of time, dedication and devotion. Having the right tools on hand for the great challenge of parenting can make it all a little more manageable and a lot more fun.

Whether you decide to go with convertible baby furniture to go the distance, or pieces to mix and match and swap out later, remember to look for quality and safety. Make one wise investment in your child’s dreams for many good nights to come.