How to Tell Your Child is Ready for a Toddler Bed

If your little one is having trouble sleeping in their crib it may be time to get him a "big kids" bed. If you didn't get a convertible crib when you were furnishing your nursery, you will need to purchase a toddler bed; it is between the size of a crib and a twin sized bed.

Most children start outgrowing their cribs at around fifteen months however some children happily sleep in a crib until they are over two years old. As all children develop differently, you'll have to watch your child for signs.

Some of the signs that your child is ready for a toddler bed include :
*difficulty sleeping in their crib
*climbing out of the crib on their own
*understanding of going to bed on their own
*no longer needs to be held or rocked to sleep

If you're ready to add a toddler bed to your little one's room, a great choice that any little boy would love is the KidKraft's Fire Truck Toddler Cot. This bed is finished in a bright, cheerful red, with ladder cut-outs on the sides that double as a bed rail to make sure your little one doesn't roll right out of the bed. Complete with silk-screened fire truck details, and a special storage compartment in the front. Let your toddler help build his bed in his room or at least "supervise" and he will love the fact he helped. It also helps him acclimate to the change in sleeping arrangements. Sweet dreams!
 posted by Allure Furniture Designs   

Tips for Soothing a Crying Baby

When your baby is small there will be times you might feel like the worst parent in the universe because you're baby won't stop crying. There are many reasons babies cry and once you know some of the reasons, you can narrow it down and make your little one comfortable again.

Little ones can cry out of fear, pain, hunger, uncomfortable such as being too cold although babies rarely complain then they are too warm so that's another issue to watch, or too much input such as meeting a lot of strangers at their first Christmas and seeing too many new faces at once.

Colic is another reason that babies cry. If your baby is a gassy baby with colic; she will draw her legs up to her tummy and lean forward and will clearly be in pain, holding her close to your body and gently patting her back and rear end will help her pass gas and relieve the enormous pressure on her tummy.

After you've ruled out hunger or being wet and other things that make your baby uncomfortable you can work on getting her back to sleep. Other ways to soothe your crying baby are to rock her in a cradle. Most babies enjoy the gentle rocking of a cradle and will fall fast asleep from the rhythmic motion. Holding and rocking your baby in a rocking chair is another way to get her to sleep and stop crying, talk softly and singing is a great way too. You don't have to have the best voice, sing your grocery list or things you love about your baby if you can't think of any songs - as long as you're talking or singing - your baby will listen and stop crying.
 posted by Allure Furniture Designs   

Choosing a Table and Chair Set for Your Child's Room

Once your little one has outgrown his crib, he will also want his own bed like a "big kid". Once you upgrade to a toddler bed he will be out of his bed easier and looking for things to do. If you have an upstairs room for your toddler, invest in piece of mind and put a baby gate at the top of your stairs, young children can panic and in their hurry to leave a bad dream can take off running and fall down the stairs; err on the side of caution and you will find yourself sleeping easier at night too.

Once he is up and around in his room, he might like a place to call his own to draw, play with toys and more . A Firefighter Table & 2 Stool Set is a fantastic way to let him have his own space in a safe environment. It is made to go with the other items in the fireman furniture series such as the coat rack and the toddler bed. Your little one will have hours of fun at his own table, it is also great if you have more than one child and they want to spend time in each other's rooms playing or he has play dates and the kids want to draw or play with toddler safe clay.

A table and chair set will open up a new world for your child and give him the freedom to explore pretend play or just draw you a pretty picture to hang on the fridge!
 posted by Allure Furniture Designs   

Changing Table Safety Tips

A piece of furniture that will get a lot of use in your nursery in the beginning is the changing table. A newborn can easily go through fifteen diapers a day and you'll find yourself standing before a changing table quite often. If you're a new parent or you have chosen to widely space your children, a refresher in some of the basics of a changing table safety is a must.

Even a newborn that can't turn over can muster the energy to topple off of a changing table. If your baby can move her head, she can fall and even newborns can move their heads, so err on the side of caution and never leave a baby unattended even for a second on a changing table. When you're ready to change your baby, make sure that everything you need is already within reach. Diapers, wipes, pins or attachers if you're using cloth diapers and plastic pants should all be within reach so you don't have to turn your back on your baby for a second.

Another point about changing tables is that you will use one so much in the early part of your baby's life and then it won't get too much use at all and tends to become a "catch all" for items in the nursery. A great solution is to get a piece of furniture that can do dual duty in the nursery. A nightstand that has a convertible changer top will be fantastic. Use it as a changing table as needed for your baby and then as your child gets older and is too heavy for the changing table, just convert to the nightstand and you have a beautiful piece of very functional furniture for your nursery.
 posted by Allure Furniture Designs   

Expecting a Baby? Consider a Convertible Crib

Congratulations! You're about to welcome the patter of little feet into your life. When you're planning your baby's nursery - you want to get the most for your money with out the nursery looking "cheap".

The most important piece of furniture you will be putting in your child's nursery is the crib. A great way to get full use out of your purchase is to get a convertible crib. A convertible crib does just that, it "converts", from a crib to a toddler bed and there's very little to do except drop the crib rail and add short safety rails for your child when he or she is ready for a "big kid" bed. Some children do not accept change of any kind well and since they are keeping the same bed and only the sides are changed, the acclimation process for the child is usually much easier.

Cribs are generally used until a child is around 18 months to 2 years old then the switch to a toddler bed is made. As a child still needs security from rolling out of the bed and onto the floor for a rude awakening. You can still use bumper pads around two sides of the bed once converted if you choose, especially if your child is a "head banger" and tends to flip around a lot during sleep.

Make the crib you purchase something special that will carry your baby all throughout their early years from sleepy, snuggly newborn to curious toddler - invest in a convertible bed.
 posted by Allure Furniture Designs