The last year and this year has been hard on everyone no matter where in the world they are staying. But with work from home in play, a lot of new parents can now see their child grow up day by day and also take an active part in their daily life.
The drawback for the children born during this pandemic time is that they haven’t been out in the world like other babies born in years before them. Most probably, they will be spending their first year in this world totally inside their home to minimise their exposure to this deadly virus.
The first thing you can take up this summer is gardening. You don’t always need a garden or empty field for that; you can have a garden even if you stay in a small room! If you have never done gardening before, then start with something very easy to maintain like succulents. Some of them are small and can be kept even by your bedside and don’t need much maintenance. For those with a green finger, a hanging herb garden or kitchen garden is a great option.
But that doesn’t mean you as a new parent cannot introduce the outside world to your child; all you have to do is bring it indoors! Just decorate their nursery in such a way that it will be their introduction to this wonderful world they were born into. Most importantly, many of the ways you do it are not always costly or time-consuming. With little creativity and care, you can introduce your new-born to the outside world, and here are some ways to do that:
Before we start talking about the ways, let’s first consider a very important factor; the safety of the nursery and the practicality of the décor you want. For example, if your child is already crawling around, having décor that he or she can grab while crawling can be a bit dangerous.
The furniture in the room should be selected in a way that it can be changed as the child grows.
- Start with the room’s colour. Go for tones and hues of bright colours like lavender, yellow, blue, etc. The colours will brighten the room and uplift the mood of the baby and the parents when they stay in the nursery.
- The next thing to look at is the lighting of the room. The best is natural lightning as sunlight is very important for young babies. Don’t put harsh lights in the room especially at night if the child is going to be alone.
- No family is the same so why should the nursery be like other people? Personalise it with things that matter to your family. Do you love the mountains? Then paint a wall with mountain murals. Do you have a large family who lives together? Then add
pictures of your family all over the nursery wall. - Just because you can’t take the baby outside doesn’t mean you can’t bring the outdoors inside. It can be as simple as buying a constellation-themed rug. Or you can add glow stickers on the ceiling of stars and moon.
- A major portion of your baby’s time will be spent on the changing table, so make it beautiful. Keep everything in such a manner that they are easy to get to when needed. Cute and funny posters of babies will make this part of the nursery stand out.
- The crib is the most important piece of furniture in the nursery. Keeping in mind how the baby changes from month to month, invest in a crib that can be modified to other
furniture as the child grows. Don’t forget to hang a crib mobile as it stimulates the child’s growing sensory awareness. - Reading to your child is one of the best ways to bond with him or her. There are books available for each stage of a baby’s growth, so start building your child’s library from an early age.
- Lastly, nothing can be more satisfying than doing DIY on the walls of the nursery. It can be an easy job like sticking a decal or a major one like colouring it. Whatever it is, you will cherish this activity all your life.
The first year of a child’s life is very important as it is their informative year. So, make the nursery sunny, clutter-free and filled with wonders so that your child grows up with a creative mind and happiness.