Year: 2019

1.Have a clear out and Donate to charity : Try the Bin Bag Game

A fabulous idea for the whole family, to get them motivated to let go of unwanted items – PLAY THE BIN BAG RACE!

You will need :

• one bin bag for each member of the family.
• a kitchen timer.

The Object of the game is for each person to collect as many unwanted things as possible that they would like to donate to charity. The person who collects the most things say within five minutes wins a prize. This is an exercise to teach children about charity and people in need, so I recommend keeping the prize simple – like an extra half hour before bed, or they can choose their special meal for dinner, you get the idea.  

Whilst we are clearing out……

 2. Tidy your Wardrobes – take all of the plastic and wire hangers out.  

Toss all the plastic hangers and keep wire hangers for craft.  A great tip in the future start saying no in stores if you are offered hangers!  Plastic hangers are not good for clothes, the environment and make our wardrobes look messy!  A great inexpensive alternative is the popular velvet covered hanger. These come in lots of wonderful colours and really can make your wardrobe look sensational. Choose round shoulder hangers for women’s clothes and the larger ones for men, you can also get children’ ones. Below are some of my favourite shaped velvet hangers.  Remember some brands are better quality then others and as they are used each day for years it is better to invest in a better-quality hanger.

Most people are going to need at least 100!  Yup, 100!  Most clothes fare much better if they are hung rather than folded into a drawer.  They have air flow around them, hanging keeps the creases out and it is much easier for you to see what you have in your wardrobe. Hang t-shirts, vest tops, jeans, everything you have space for.  Make sure to have one coat hanger for each item of clothing.  Why you ask?  This will help you to adopt the one in, one out concept. Each time you buy a new item of clothing take some out of your wardrobe and give to charity. Also – keep a box at the bottom of your wardrobe to put unwanted/charity items in.

Below is a recent wardrobe makeover I did in London.  We let go of lots of items, to charity and friends.  Purchased new hangers – purple in this case!  And banished all over wire and plastic hangers.

For the longevity of your clothes it is imperative to look after them and hanging them correctly is the start.  Don’t over pack your clothes, leave space in between so each item can breathe. Never leave your clothes inside the dry cleaner’s plastic! If you have delicate items that need extra protection invest in cotton suit covers. Always use the correct hangers for different items.  

• For sweaters – padded hangers
• Coats – wooden hangers
• Dressers/blousers etc.- Velvet

3. Reuse, Repurpose and Gift 

So many things can be recycled: why not make fabric covered hangers for Christmas gifts, this is so simple the kids can help too!

All you need is some wire scissors, hangers & fabric.  As you will have collected lots of clothes from playing the bin bag game you will probably have a sheet or some clothes like a man’s shirt or a cotton dress you can use.  

Cut strips of fabric, I would say not more than 2cm wide.  The length depends on where the fabric is coming from. Start at the neck of the wire hanger and tie the strip and knot around the neck of the hanger. Then begin wrapping it around and around the hanger until it is covered.  It must be really tight, or it won’t last. I once wrapped an incense stick inside, so my hanger had a lovely sent. Once wrapped, the tie a knot at the neck and I suggest tying a lovely ribbon to cover over it.

I love making these hangers, it is so simple, it creates something beautiful and practical, it is recycling, it teaches the children the idea of gifting a heartfelt gift, not wasting money and so much more.

 Another brilliant idea are these card displays made from hangers. We are only limited by our imagination.  And best of all they are inexpensive.

Below is a picture of a card display made with wire hangers. This one was made by madeinaday.com

All you need is:

• wire hangers,
• washi tape,
• small wooden pegs,
• a ribbon. 

For more ideas with coat hangers visit my blog http://messgoddess.blogspot.com/2013/12/christmas-coat-hangers-and-cable-ties-i.html

4. Find Storage Solutions that Work for You – Lego Storage Cubes

I absolutely love these Lego Storage containers, they are fabulous for children’s rooms and for parents too!

I have my apple mac phone leads etc in one small white one which is £9 on Amazon! 

They come in several sizes and stack nicely on top of each other.  They are a must in the home for children’s and adult toys!

5. What to keep and what to let go

As our homes are so small in the UK we are often forced to keep children’s toys in their bedrooms. It’s not only toys & books but broken toys as well as toys and books that are no longer age appropriate and craft and school work all mixed in together -all  in a mess!  

The first thing I do is establish what items are being kept for sentimental reasons.  Often there are a lot!  So why are we keeping things that have such sentimental value in such a disorganised way where they will get damaged? Does this sound familiar?

Here are a few ideas to help you store your sentimental clutter safely where you will get more enjoyment from it:

Make photo books:

How about making a Photo Book of your child’s Art & Craft? Not only have you solved the problem of all the bits of paper laying around and stashed in drawers – you will have a beautiful book to cherish forever and order another couple as they make perfect Christmas presents!

New ways to keep old soft toys

Broken, often smelly and with so many memories attached!  I came across a wonderful article recently about a fellow Australian, Geoffery Ricardo, an Artist.  He has come up with the most wonderful way to keep memories of a Teddy Bear that we can no longer keep.  He applies a light coat of paint to the front of the Teddy & then presses it against craft paper!  Genius!  Then you can get your camera out, take a photo of Teddy, a photo of the print, and these go into the book or you can frame the print and hang it in your child’s room and say good bye to the smelly Teddy.

Perspex boxes

I love this, it’s one of my favourites. Your child’s first pair of shoes would look beautiful in one and they are not expensive! They have many uses and can look very stylish.

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Finally, while  organising a child’s room I find so many pencils that I could sink the titanic with them!How many pencils do children need?  One packet, one packet of felt tips and maybe one pack of crayons.  I think the best way to store them is in a clear container, I recommend letting go of pencil cases.  Use glass glass jars to store your pencils etc.  You can can put them in individual jars i.e. pencils in one, felt tip in another, crayons another or my personal favourite – Colour code them.  All red in one jar, green, black etc.  Beautiful it makes a real statement!  And before you think that charity shops want your old pencils and pens, they do not!  There are many charities who want donations of old pens and pencils such as http://www.pensforkids.co.uk

Tania, The Mess Goddess’ strength lies in her ability to combine concepts of eastern simplicity and style with practical organisation, spacial-creation and functional storage design. She is always thrilled when a client is amazed that “it all fits”. Tania wants her clients’ homes to not only, look stylish and beautiful, but also, to work well. To find out more about her services browse her website https://www.messgoddess.com/about-mess-goddess 

It is important to have a good clear out a couple of times a year when you child is quite young, maybe less when they get a bit older and stop growing out of things as quickly. I find using landmarks like Christmas and birthdays is really helpful to keep me on track.

As I have said before ( and will say again and again) the key to your kids room being tidy is not only to provide them with a space for everything but also to get them involved – get them to learn to tidy up as part of their daily ritual, even as part of playing so that it is ingrained and then it is normal and something they will do for themselves from a surprisingly early age.

That said, the big C is around the corner – yes Christmas is less than 60 days away as I write this…. This still gives you and your child plenty of time to get ready and make space. In this modern world space seems to be something we all crave and it really is quite easy to achieve even with kids and their stuff all around the house!

To make space in preparation of new toys arriving whether for Christmas or birthdays try these simple tips:

1- Have a big clear out

Be environmentally friendly in this – don’t just take everything to the dump. Pass on, regift, upcycle, reuse, repurpose and donate to charity. As you begin to pare down your child’s belongings have several boxes to sort the items you are clearing out into to. Your child needs to help you in this process, it will help them move on and appreciate their role in the world – “so and so’s little brother will love that”, “these should fit so and so”.

2- Move things around 

Go through the toys you are keeping, if they have broken or have lost parts do you still want to keep them? You might find that the items you are keeping will fit into your existing storage in a better way so move things around and make the best use of drawers, boxes and shelves you already own.

3- Put everything you have away

A place for everything and everything in it’s place. This old adage really is helpful for kids and adults alike. Put everything you are keeping away in it’s own spot.

4- Make as much as possible accessible at child height

So that they can reach to get the items out and most importantly put them away again by themselves.

5- Let them keep what is important to them in a special “treasures” place.

My son keeps little things he’s found or made and kinder egg models together with shells, lego minifigures and gifts from party bags in an old printers box on his bedside table. Each item is special to him in some way and tells a story and they are easily accessible and collected together they create a great display. Having this helps keep a lid on the clutter.

6- Consider a new layout to give more storage

Try rearranging furniture or buying another bookshelf to give a bit of breathing space so that the toy collection can have space to grow into and still be tidy.

7- Try toy rotation

If there is no more space to be had for more furniture try putting some toys away in the attic or hallway closet and swapping them out in a few months’ time to keep them exciting and new to your child.

By applying these simple steps to your child’s space you should not feel overwhelmed by a sea of toys and kid-clutter on the run up to Christmas – and you should feel the benefits into the year as the new toys and gifts find their spaces in your child’s room.

For more on this subject try reading How to declutter your child’s room after Santa’s Visit

In this post I will be tackling the thorny issue of LEGO display ideas – whether these are shop bought LEGO sets or purely imaginative one-off masterpieces they’ll always come a tidy -up time when your child will say they haven’t finished playing with this LEGO build and want to keep it to continue playing next time…what to do…?

After a lovely long fun-packed summer break I’m back with the third and final instalment in my LEGO posts, hope you find it useful and do let me know how you display your LEGO.

I’m not a huge fan of purpose built LEGO furniture (of which there is a lot on the market) I find it too clunky and large and one-use. It’s my aim to show you how a few additions to any child’s room can lead to plenty of LEGO display ideas for your child’s LEGO creations (as long as you’ve tackled that other thorny issue of how to store your child’s LEGO see my previous blogs for help with that! How to get your child to tidy their LEGO LEGO storage: How I sorted my son’s LEGO so that he would tidy it up by himself )

Purpose-made LEGO containers on display

There are many different “fancy” purpose-made LEGO containers on the market. you can find heads, giant blocks, really really giant blocks and LEGO mini figure cases. These don’t meet LEGO storage needs in our house (which we have met using a different method see my previous post) but do offer a lovely opportunity for display. A combo of different coloured and sized bricks would be ideal to make a statement on a shelf in your child’s room and to store some extra pieces. We have 3 smaller LEGO storage blocks which are currently being used for Ninjago minifigs!

Shelves: the ultimate way to display LEGO

Whether they be floating shelves, a bookcase or  repurposed furniture, shelves make a great LEGO display as long as you apply some order. For instance no loose LEGO on the shelves and maybe organise by theme?

Obviously an adjustable shelving system (again Ikea have numerous in different styles from sleek white to mid-century industrial wood and metal) would work well for this but realistically how often are you going to move around your child’s shelves and all the LEGO on them? Adjustable shelving is great for future proofing but maybe not essential as part of your immediate LEGO storage needs.

Having glass doors would keep the dust away, but does impede access – and make sure the doors are safety glass to prevent injuries! IKEA do offer a number of glass doored shelving options which can easily be adapted into LEGO use – maybe even putting great works on display in the living room or family room. I’d avoid the kitchen as LEGO is hard enough to clean without the added joy of grease.

In my son’s room I’ve accessorised our shelves with…

LEGO tape for LEGO display

Adding Lego tape to shelving or walls or any surface really adds another dimension to your LEGO display as it helps keep track of mini figures pretty easily. it comes in a roll which you cut to the correct length then simply pull the backing tape off and stick. it comes in fun colours and I’ve found it a great help in tackling LEGO organisation!

Stackable baseplates

Base plates that can stack to make the most of the shelving and make the most of the height of shelves. The stackable baseplates are adaptable and easy to put up and take down as your little one’s creations evolve. They great for creating little scenes and adding height. They are on my Christmas list this year!

Make useful things as part of your LEGO display

We tend to make use of some LEGO around the house eg pen holders and key chains/tidies charging stations. Who would have though that mini figures make the perfect charging stations? Or that a LEGO block glued to a key chain can help you keep your keys from getting lost at home?

Take a look at Matthew Hughes’ blog for some great ideas for using LEGO to organise your technology.

Here is an amazing instructables LEGO Minifigures clock which is functional and a great way to display minifigs.

LEGO Mini Figure display

There are many beautiful mini figure display cases available such as this great frame but as mentioned above I do like the flexibility of the LEGO tape and shelving as collections and builds grow and tastes change: flexibility is key.

This might be my favourite of all the official LEGO display cases as it is two tier with a removable clear cover so that your child can play with their LEGO then display it easily and it keeps the dust off. It also has a removable background so your child can draw their own background to their LEGO scene.

I hope this post has helped you with your LEGO display ideas and hopefully made you realise that you don’t need to go out and purchase new purpose-made LEGO display furniture but that you can use simple shelving and a few tricks to make the most of what you already have. Let me know how you get on….

To continue my series on LEGO, which began last month with How to get your child to tidy their LEGO , I felt I should share the categories and storage units I used to sort and storage my son’s LEGO most of which was handed down to him from my brother in one huge overflowing archiving box.

We have a 12 drawer plastic unit like this with drawers that can be removed for easy playing and clearing up  as the LEGO storage in my son’s room. As his room is pretty small and we don’t have the luxury of a playroom, a tower, which takes up less surface area, seemed a great solution to our LEGO storage needs. Also you can add another set of drawers as the collection grows.

Here’s how I sorted my brother’s old Lego, which included lots of sets (just that we didn’t know which) and some technic Lego. I spent 7hrs sorting an archive box full to the brim of Lego!

 

 

 

My then 4 year old was able to find the pieces he needed and we were able to reconstruct the sets my brother had AND my son was able to tidy up, with help at first, then with questions (which drawer does this go in?) Until he graduated to being responsible for his own LEGO collection at the grand old age of 5.

I still need to get him to break up models he has made once in a while as he runs out of space but generally the Lego in our house is under control. Here’s how I broke it down… 

My categories:

A closer study of the weird pieces in the crazy drawer led me to figure out which sets my brother had as they were pretty specialised. I googled the parts and found the instructions, sifted through the organised lego to find the pieces and then we built the sets. These then needed to be displayed as my son wanted to play with them… but that is another story (see my next post on how to display Lego).

So far the Lego storage system I have set up is working even with the addition of more LEGO sets at birthdays and Christmas and whenever the grandparents are in town! The main reasons it works is that it is flexible, it fits the space and is simple enough for a soon to be 7 year old to figure out where everything goes and to not be daunted by too many decisions when faced with tidying up.

I hope that I’ve helped you to decide on how to tackle your LEGO mountain…. how is your LEGO sorted? Do you prefer keeping it in one big box so that your child gets the fun of sifting through it? Do let me know…

If you are a parent tired of standing on LEGO this post is for you. I think that by offering your children a way to organise their LEGO collection you can empower them to keep it tidy for themselves. They will know where to put it away and then it won’t end up literally being shovelled off the floor.

In January 2001 a lego fan, Remy Evard, posted to LUGNET his ‘ evolution of LEGO sorting‘ which basically describes the journey of the LEGO fan from one set kept nicely in its box with the instructions to having a large LEGO collection sorted by individual piece by colour and the journey of the LEGO fan in doing this. I think this is drastic and would take too long to start up and too long to maintain with children and that it is aimed at the adult LEGO enthusiast. Read on to see how you can provide your child with the right sorting and storage system for them to be able to keep their collection tidy.

Anyone interested in how to organise their LEGO needs to read https://brickarchitect.com/guide/bricks/ I love his quote “you will sort your lego bricks into your storage based on your system of organisation.” It makes the difference between sorting, storing and organising quite clear.

How to sort your child’s LEGO collection:

By colour/ piece/type of brick?

 

The Brick architect describes LEGO storage needs by age so that younger children can store their smaller collections in one tub or draw string bag and enjoy discovering the pieces as part of the fun. Parents tend to then sort bricks by colour, he says. For young children I would consider sorting by colour as a beginning. They will easily be able to stick to this system and be able to tidy up after themselves with little, if any, help. This system doesn’t work for older children or for those with more LEGO as it is difficult to find the pieces you need. So sorting by category is the true child LEGO enthusiast’s storage system. We will leave the sorting by piece and then separating by colour to the grown ups (with loads of time on their hands).

Consider how you will store the instructions too. A folder or binder with poly pockets? This is what I started with but we need a new system as it is full! So I’m considering more plastic drawers with a drawer for each theme like Star Wars, Ninjago and City… I think this could easily grow with your collection – though I suppose I could get another binder and have a binder for each theme….?

Things to consider when you are storing LEGO:

How much space do you have?

When thinking about how to store your LEGO one of your first considerations should be how much space you have… this will determine how many trays or bins or drawers you can divide your collection into.

How many pieces of each type?

This should be considered so that you can choose the correct containers – though remember the collection will grow so always allow for its evolution.

Where does your child build?

Does your storage need to be portable, do you store LEGO in your child’s room but then build in the living room? Or does your child build right next to where their collection is stored?

LEGO storage solutions for younger children:

Draw string bag 

– like these from Kidly which are so stylish they could be left in your living room as part of the decor and you are bound to find one you fall in love with.

Under bed storage

– like these great star drawers from GLTC

A big bin

– like the stackable metal bins in gorgeous pastel tones from La Redoute, or simple seagrass bins and basket that could go anywhere in your house.

I think that a LEGO Activity table is too permanent and won’t adapt as your child grows and their interests develop ( and they take up a lot of space). So instead have a child height table and chairs that can be used for anything from drawing, to eating to playing LEGO. Much more multi purpose for our day to day lives.

LEGO also produces storage cubes in the shapes of large lego bricks and mini figure heads – these make a great display but are not hugely practical beyond a certain size of LEGO collection.

Get them involved

The aim is to get your children to keep up the tidying so you don’t have to walk on any more bricks!

From about 5 years +, or for those with a larger LEGO collection, the methods of storing LEGO above are not going to be condusive to finding a particular piece. I recommend using plastic drawers and sorting by category. Which will be in next month’s post… How I sorted my Son’s LEGO…..

How do you sort and store your child’s LEGO?… What are the categories you sort it by?…. I will reveal the categories that work for us in next month’s post…

 

 

 

Toddler Proofing Guide or… Things To Do Before Your Baby Crawls! (babies crawl at eight months on average, which means for many it happens earlier!)

My quick disclaimer is that these are the things I found useful and needed to do, I am not a health and safety expert, these are just my advice based on my experiences. 

 

Around the home

Fit and test Smoke detectors

Fit and test Carbon monoxide detectors if you have gas appliances.

Install Window catches and move furniture away from windows as toddlers start to learn to climb!

If you have blinds make sure that they are cordless.

Install Safety gates/ stair gates  at the top and bottom of the stairs and use them until your toddler can navigate them confidently Socket covers

Fit Cupboard catches- there are many different types, try them out and see which ones work for you in each room.

Fire guard- I found that my son grasped the concept of ‘hot’ quite early, the fireguard was there mainly to prevent toys from landing in the fire and obviously was a necessary precaution against the worst.

Get a First aid kit and book – or better yet take an infant first aid course.

Have a Medical thermometer.

Put Padding on sharp corners – since toddlers are prone to falls. Especially on a hearth, you can buy sticky padding for the edges and corners.

Artificial fireplaces often have small rocks that are tempting for toddlers to eat so they should be put away.

Fire stocking tools should also be put away.

Keep all hot drinks out of reach – create a designated spot for your tea in each room so you don’t have to think about where it will be safe in the moment.

Keep all medicines, laundry detergent, cleaning supplies, scissors, nail files etc locked away or out of reach- toddlers like to explore by putting things in their mouths so this is very important!

Keep all small objects like coins, beads or jewellery out of reach too for the same reason.

Candles and matches  should also be out of reach.

Photo frames should be out of reach or wall mounted so that they don’t fall and shatter over your child.

Make sure your Tv is mounted so that it doesn’t fall on your toddler as he mounts the tv stand! If you can’t mount the tv, anchor the tv stand to the wall using velcro straps and eye hooks screwed into the wall.

Power strips should be kept hidden, if you can’t hide it, then get a power strip cover.

Round, square, cylindrical or oval objects smaller than 1 inch in diameter should be kept away from children under 5years of age as they are a chocking hazard.

Make sure all battery covers are secure on all toys, remotes etc as batteries are dangerous. 

If you have Glass tables make sure they have tempered glass that won’t shatter. 

Buy a device that keeps doors from closing so that your child’s fingers don’t get trapped, or pop a towel over the top of the door.

Hide electrical cords behind furniture.

Never leave your baby alone in any place that they can fall from such as beds, highchairs or changing tables.

If you have railings with a gap of 6.5cm or wider then use something like plexiglass to block them.

Plan a fire escape route.

Secure freestanding furniture that can topple.

Put stickers on big expanses of glass such as sliding doors.

Be wary of toxic house plants and move them out of reach.

Bear in mind that you may need to use a variety of different types of locks and solutions around your house so that they fit and work with your space and lifestyle. I know that those fancy magnetic locks would drive me mad if I had them on my kitchen cupboards as you need the key to open them each time. Remember to let your child play and explore safely… don’t keep everything out of their reach, toys and art supplies should be reachable for instance.

 

Out and about

Harnesses and reins might be necessary to let your child enjoy exploring safely. I made lots of use of the reins as my son stopped using his pram quite early and wanted to wander off and walk everywhere.

Check your handbag doesn’t have any medicine or coins or other small things a toddler would put into their mouth.

Don’t carry your baby and hot food or drinks at the same time.

Bathroom

Buy a Non slip bath mat.

Consider rubber spout protectors so that your child cannot bump themselves on the taps and spout.

Keep all cleaning products, toiletries and medicines out of reach. 

Don’t line the bin with a plastic bag as your toddler might play with this and suffocate.

Mop up any water spills after bath time so that your toddler doesn’t slip and bang his head. Toddlers are too young to break their fall using their arms.

Keep the toilet seat down and buy a latch and remind visitors to use it as toddlers are just the right height to fall into the toilet.

Keep hairdryers unplugged so that your little one can’t turn it on.

An argument can be made for physically locking away all vitamin tablets and medications to be on the safe side. 

When you are filling the bath, run enough warm water to cover your babies legs, no deeper. Never leave a baby unsupervised in the bath.

 

Garden

Safety film over garden patio doors to shatterproof it

Cover garden ponds with a metal grills. 

 

Kitchen 

Put pans to the back of the hob with the handles turned in when cooking.

Fit Child safety locks on cupboards and drawers- leave one cupboard at least that they can get into and play with the contents… I left the pans and Tuppaware available for playing and even painted the doors of that cupboard with magnetic blackboard paint so he could draw and play and bash pans while I cooked. It generally worked a treat.

It’s a good idea to make the kitchen off limits when you are not there. 

Check your dishwasher has a lock setting – leave knives pointing down, only put the detergent in just before turning the machine on. If it doesn’t have a lock setting then you may want to buy an appliance lock. 

People pull their hob nobs off when they are not using the hob, though you can get hob guards. My solution to this when I had my kitchen done was to get an induction hob with a lock feature. Induction hobs don’t get hot unless they are on and in contact with a large enough magnetic surface, the hobs themselves generally don’t get hot enough to burn you. I was scared of our gas hobs before that, and I think a hob guard sounds like a good idea. 

Ovens are also problematic! Try not to hang oven gloves from the handle as they act as a great means for a toddler to open the door. You can get an appliance lock to prevent this. I bought an oven that has a child lock so it cannot accidentally be turned on.

Try and keep counter tops clear of appliances and knife blocks as toddlers can reach them.

If your toddler can open the fridge, remember to move medicines, grapes, wine bottles and any other dangers to where they can’t be reached.

Remember not to hold your baby while cooking at the hob.

Store the highchair out of reach when not in use so that baby can’t try to climb on it. 

 

Bedroom 

The minute your child can sit up, it’s time to lower the cot.

Don’t have stuffed animals in bed as they are a suffocation hazard until your toddler is very mobile.

Be sure not to leave crayons out as these can be snapped in two and choked on.

Fix all furniture to the walls so that it cannot fall on your toddler as they try to climb up.

 

I hope you find these tips helpful and not totally daunting! How do you toddler proof your house? How to you get the cooking done? I’d love to hear from you in the comments…

 

Well Hi,

I know that one thing all parents, be they first timers or old hats, need help with is getting babies and young children to sleep. There can be problems with initially putting them down to sleep, the whole bedtime routine that can last hours with cries of “one more story” or trouble settling off back to sleep in the middle of the night. I thought it would be a good time to share with you how the design of your child’s room can help.

Obviously this topic is huge and covers diet, routine, anxiety, lactose intolerance, colic and all sorts of things but you may not have considered your child’s environment in helping to get them to sleep better and /or for longer.

I would say that the colour of the room, the amount of light it gets, room layout and storage solutions can all have an effect on how a baby or young child sleeps in their own room. So let’s break it down:

1- Colour

Blue is basically the most calming colour you can have, it lowers heart rate and can help with anxiety. Especially good to use if a child has an anxious bedtime. Careful about how you use blue in a room with little natural light as it can feel cold.

Green makes you think of health and freshness and is said to help with reading ability and concentration and can help little ones to wake up feeling refreshed.

Yellow can be used sparingly in a child’s room. A pale lemon yellow can help concentration but be warned, go too bright and it can induce frustration. If you want bright yellow use accessories dotted around the room to break it up and steer interest to another colour in the room.

Pink can help your child fall to sleep but can be a risky choice as you might find yourself repainting rather soon as it becomes out of favour with your child.

White walls are clean and fresh and give an impression of space – be careful to choose a wipeable paint finish for all the sticky fingers and dribbles that will inevitably occur. Remember to accent this with other colours that work well in children’s rooms so that it doesn’t feel too sterile.

Black can be used as an accent colour to great effect.

Neutrals such as taupe or greys work well in a bedroom and are very popular. Just try to pick the warmer neutrals so that the room doesn’t feel chilly.

Light Purples can be used as they help you feel relaxed. Just don’t go too dark.

Colours to avoid include great expanses of red as it is an angry colour which is associated with lack of focus. Dark Purples, bright pinks and yellows should also be avoided on the walls, and brought in through accessories dotted around the room as accent colours if wanted.

 

2- Make it dark at bedtime

Black out curtains are a parent’s best friend, especially in Edinburgh in the summer when the sun comes up at 4 am and can stay up til 11:30pm!

If your child is afraid of total darkness invest in a nightlight with a red bulb that casts a warm light that won’t wake them.

3- Create zones in your child’s room

Your child’s room is a very multifunctional place. Your child sleeps there, plays there, gets dressed there and maybe even does crafts and drawing there as well as imaginative dressing up, story time and home work. As such, a clear distinction between the sleep zone and the fun zone can easily be made through furniture placement and use of colour.

Defining the zones helps your child to concentrate on their task in each zone. Letting your child know that the sleep zone is for sleeping only will help them to be conditioned into feeling sleeping there.

4-  Use Great Storage 

Putting everything away before bedtime can remove the temptation for your child to play past bedtime as the toys are “out of site and out of mind” leaving them cosy with some books and maybe a nightlight to get calm and relaxed before bed.

Tidying up helps to further that serene atmosphere you are trying to create to allow your little one to feel relaxed and go to sleep. make tidy up time part of your routine so that children become used to it and gain a sense of achievement and confidence from help. having child-accessible storage is key here so that they can do it themselves.

5- Oxygenating plants

It is great to include plants in your child’s room design as they add a certain softness by bringing the outdoors in. A last tip that could help your little one sleep better is to include oxygenating plants in their room. Plants such as Orchids, Christmas Cactus and Aloe Vera release their oxygen at night which could help your child sleep.

I hope this helps you think a little about your child’s physical environment and the effect it can have on them. What has worked for you ? Do you have bright bold colours in your child’s room and find that it creates a calm atmosphere

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Getting a nursery ready for baby is quite simple really…. they need somewhere to sleep after the first 6 months, somewhere to store their clothes and accoutrement, somewhere to have their nappy changed and somewhere to put their toys and books. Think about if you’ll be getting up to feed baby or bringing baby into bed with you, if you’ll be changing baby in their room or the bathroom, if you want them to share with a sibling…

The nursery is probably more for mum than baby so you will also need to consider a feeding chair, maybe even a bed for those nights where you just can’t leave the little one, some artwork and a colour scheme to foster happy nesting time when you are in the nursery. Make it a place you are happy to spend time as you undoubtedly will be.

1- Somewhere To Sleep

For the first 6 months of life baby will be in a Moses basket or cot-side bed in their parents’ room so this is not an immediate need, but setting up a cot in baby’s room before their arrival is advised as those first few months fly by.

There are different types of cot available, some of which can last until your child is around 10 years old. A cot bed’s sides, for instance, can be removed and turned into a toddler bed which allows you to use it for longer than a cot. A cot, on the other hand, is smaller and could allow space for a cosy feeding chair and footstool in the nursery.

Consider colour choice carefully as too vibrant a colour, such as a whole yellow wall, can impede sleep while other colours can soothe and calm.

You’ll need a firm mattress, with a waterproof mattress protector, fitted mattress sheets, flat sheets, cellular blankets, baby sleeping bags, a night light, baby monitor and black out blind or curtain becomes invaluable in the summer months and during day time naps.

2- Somewhere To Store Their Clothes And Accoutrement

Getting a wardrobe that can grow with your child is a great idea, one that fits adult sized hangers and has adjustable shelves would be ideal. I found that I could store nappies and muslins and bibs etc in the wardrobe and bedding, baby grows and vests in a chest of drawers. Both pieces of furniture can stay with your child until they leave for university if you choose wisely!

3- Somewhere To Have Their Nappy Changed

There is a huge array of baby changing stations available. I would always recommend getting one where the changing tray can be removed and the furniture takes on a new life after baby is toilet trained. for example my son’s bookshelves were his changing table, they came with an extended shelf for changing baby which could be removed when no longer needed. he now still has the same bookcase 6 years on. over the cot changers are useful if space is tight, equally over a chest of drawers changers are useful longterm. it may be that you would prefer to change baby in the bathroom in which case a small, open changer would be the most practical.

4- Somewhere To Put Their Toys And Books

Believe it or not your baby will accumulate toys and books even before it is born! you will be showered with gifts and it is always good to have somewhere to put them all. I find storage boxes on shelves to be the most adaptable storage solution, especially for little ones. start your soft toy collection in one, your noisy developmental toys in another basket and your wooden tethers in another and you will be tidy and organised for baby’s arrival.

Once you have met these four requirements for your baby’s immediate needs everything extra is a bonus, but don’t stress your little one’s nursery should be an oasis of calm (or as soothing as possible for those 2am feeds!).