July 27, 2007 11:15 PM
Nursery decor and toy choices
A second question from Kay, new mom of four months:
How do you feel about the bright colors and patterns for babies these days? My baby loves them...but becomes quickly overstimulated by them as well. I can't seem to find a baby toy that isn't neon green and orange! Nursery decor and bedding is the same as well. Our baby is co-sleeping right now, but does have a nursery I would like to prepare for later. What kinds of patterns, colors, and textures do you suggest for nursery environments and baby toys?
Katy, I'm really impressed with how sensitive you are to your baby's needs. I personally like restful colors for baby rooms - light blue seems so calm and comforting. Smooth, pure cotton bedding is a must. Even if you find something cheaper, it will wear out and need to be replaced. Good cotton lasts.
I think when we decorate, we tend to want to make a statement about who we are. But when we're decorating a home for our family - and especially rooms for our children - what's most important is to remember how it is from their point of view. Are the pictures on the wall just cutesy things we like - or are they things that will attract our children's attention and be of interest to them?
I think toys can be bright and bold because they can be removed when your baby's had enough stimulation. But you might try to encourage a comfort object- blanket, stuffed toy. I do think these are good for children as they learn to associate calming experiences with them. They do really work. (Don;t some of us adults have our own comfort objects too?)
Readers - we'd love to hear your thoughts.
Comments
I have discovered recently that my children now have tastes of their own. For instance, my daughter has COVERED her walls with pictures of horses. And I am doing my very best to control myself and not tear them down. I remember my mom being very sensitive to the fact that our rooms were our own personal space, and I remember loving it when I was a kid. So....I'm doing my best to stay out of their rooms. (well, I do make the boys clean up their messes. But trust me, if I didn't, I would never see them again.)
Posted by: Janet T. | July 28, 2007 11:00 AM
Hi, Kay!
You are so observant! I agree with Barbara: you can put away toys, but not a bedroom! LOL! I would make the nursery as "quiet" as possible for the early years. That would include colors and textures. You could put black and white/sepia photos on the walls of the baby and loved ones, and calm, old-fashioned prints, too. (Vintage children's books are great for those!)
Hope this helps!
Beth
Posted by: Beth | July 28, 2007 1:28 PM
I finally learned ( with my 3rd child!) the value of a favorite blankey. I switched blankets often with my oldest 2, but my youngest has slept with the same blanket since birth. He "adopted" it as a comfort item, and now that he's a toddler I ask him to go find it when it's time for bed. This blanket has been a real blessing when others need to put him down for a naptime. :)
Posted by: Lisa | July 28, 2007 5:25 PM
My four month old daughter is sharing a room with her big brother. It's painted blue, and her bedding is a pastel blue and green pattern, with some three dimensional stuffed critters on the headboard. I like soothing colors for baby's room, but not so much in the toys. Her favorite toys, and this has held true for all of my children, are the ones with faces. She just loves them! Today, she noticed the dog, too, which was utterly charming. Tail wagging is mesmerizing.
Posted by: Jennie C. | July 28, 2007 6:41 PM
My daughter has always seemed to love her nursery...It has lavendar walls, white furnishings, and red and white check linens. I always chose bold toys for her, too. But if your baby doesn't seem to respond well to this, then you should do what you think your child will like :) Kids (like adults!) are all so different.
Posted by: Kristina | July 28, 2007 9:06 PM
Thank you all so much! I am taking notes ladies...
Posted by: Katy | July 29, 2007 9:17 AM
One thing that I learned after I decorated my first nursery (we moved, so I got another shot at it) is remember that you are going to be spending a lot of time in there for the first several months. Don't use any colors you really hate. Don't use any colors that make you depressed (especially if you have any history of depression). Don't use patterns that make your eyes hurt. Opposite the chair you'll be sitting in to feed and/or rock your little one, put some artwork you really enjoy looking at--even if it isn't particularly 'nursery-y'.
If the room is likely to be that child's room for a number of years (as opposed to always being the nursery for whoever's the youngest) choose decor that can grow with the child until they're through at least the preschool years so you won't have to redecorate as soon.
Posted by: cjmr | July 29, 2007 2:14 PM
Hi Katy! Since you are co-sleeping, I might suggest that you put decorating the nursery on hold. You never know how long you'll be co-sleeping, or even transitioning to having her sleep in your bedroom in her own bed. Sometimes those months just keep flying by. You might find that what you would choose for a 5 month old isn't what you'd choose when your sweet little one is 2. Just a thought, and by the way, I can tell you're already a GREAT Mommy!
Posted by: Greta | July 30, 2007 11:52 AM
Ooo, fun. We're in the middle of a complete three bedroom redo in our house.
My older two kids picked out what they want in their rooms:
My 12 year old daughter is going from a wall to wall mural of a castle and countryside to a black and white extravaganza (which I OKed even though I said any paint color BUT black). She's going to have a harlequin pattern on the wall her bed is against and the other walls will be mostly white, one wall with a black sillouette something or other (we haven't gotten as far as designing it yet) and then there will be a wall that's painted black with a white sillouette painted on it like a photo negative of the white wall. My daughter's room has a lot of angles so we can do that on a small wall. She hasn't decided if she wants the accent color to be red or something else. And Ikea has come in handy for very inexpensive sheets and a duvet. I have to say I was very surprised when she chose this (she'd originally wanted a basketball hoop in her room - I don't know why she changed her mind) but it should be a lot of fun to do.
We're calling it the Alice in Wonderland room.
My four year old also surprised me and picked out asparagus green for her room. I mean, really, it's called asparagus green and it's GREEN!. But that's what she wants so OK. I also chose a lighter celery green to calm it down a bit, especially as her room faces north and doesn't get as much light as I'd like with that color. She has good sense though since the color does go with her blankets (pinks and greens) so I won't have to start sewing for her all over again. I will need to redo the canopy on her loft bed but that's easy. This is surprising because she loves Thomas the Tank Engine and the movie Cars so I was expecting a bright red and blue room.
Her room is the Kermit room.
Now we're expecting our third daughter who doesn't get a say in what her room looks like yet (my green loving middle child is moving up to a big room and the baby will go in hers). I picked colors that match this fabulous vintage Jack and Jill children's lamp I picked up at the thrift store - the bottom half will be a pottery red and the top half will be a rose pink. They do look good together, really! But since her room is way on the other side of the house and up the stairs and I really don't want to go traipsing up and down them every two hours to feed her, she'll stay with us in our room for at least six months. Her crib set and curtains are going to be made from sheets I found at the thrift store as well - the colors will go with her room and mine (though mine is the only bedroom that's not decorated).
I've made soft stacking blocks and a few balls, some bright and colorful and some subdued. A few have rattles and they're all small enough for her to be able to grasp and squeeze. I used different cloths for the sides because babies love different textiles - think taggies. I also made her a Schmoo-like doll using left-over chenille. Faceless but something to cuddle-up against.
I have huge plans for more toys (not that she needs them but once you get on a roll you can't stop) and she'll need a quilt but I'm busy sewing diapers and plus, I did mention we need to paint. Only seven more weeks to go!
Posted by: Spring | July 30, 2007 12:12 PM
Years ago I heard something that stuck with me. You know how some colours stimulate certain things? Well, green is the most RESTFUL colour to the eyes. I must say that I can witness to this - and I am sure that is one of the reasons looking at a garden or lawn or forest tends to release tension. Perhaps not NEON green though! LOL
Posted by: Natalia | July 30, 2007 2:59 PM
We opted for "Daffodil" yellow by porter paint & cherry-finished furniture, except for a white bookcase that I already had on hand. We also turned a plate shelf made by her great-grandpa before he died into a knick-knack shelf of mementos, one of which is a hummel-imitation music box which my daughter LOVED from the moment it came from her great grandparents' home. We chose a neutral bedding set with bunnies and bears on the comforter, in green gingham with other pastels mixed in, so we can use it for future kids. My daughter loves her room. She is 21 months old, and she loves opening her book cabinet, playing with all the stuffed animals, and rocking in the big rocking chair all by herself. Hubby wanted a shade brighter, I wanted a shade lighter for the walls, so we compromised, and got a very cheerful but not overpowering result.
Posted by: Lauren | July 30, 2007 6:01 PM
We used alphabet cards from eeBoo as wall decor for my two-year-old daughter's room. They have many great styles...we chose the flowers and went with a spring (light) green paint for a garden feel. We paid $25 for the box, so we have 26 - 8X10 pieces of art...not bad compared to actual framed art! They are pretty AND educational...she's already starting to enjoy trying to find certain letters!
When it comes to comfort objects, we would be lost without them. My daughter's "silkie" is a small double-sided washable satin blanket. She is so used to it now that she knows when she needs it. She is a girl with a strong personality, and the "silkie" has given her great independence to be able to calm herself down!
Posted by: Amy K. | July 31, 2007 12:18 AM
