During pregnancy, many mothers will engage in “nesting” behavior. This may involve purchasing baby items, setting up the baby’s room or spending a lot of time tidying up around the house. This is also the time when you might be purchasing furniture for the baby’s room. Furnishing the baby room (or a part of your own bedroom) can be both a rewarding and stressful experience. Here are a few tips to help make choosing your baby’s furniture easier.
Choosing Baby Furniture
There are a few different factors you may want to consider when purchasing baby furniture. Some of these factors may be:
Safety First
As a parent, safety should be your first consideration when purchasing furniture for your baby. Though it may be tempting to save money by purchasing less expensive baby furniture, don’t forget to think of your baby’s safety. Inexpensive items may not have as strict safety standards as furniture of higher quality. Also, some items may have been recalled, so be sure to check the latest information about recalled baby furniture before making your purchase.
Durability
In the interest of saving money, you might be tempted to go for less expensive baby furniture, without thinking about durability. Babies grow fast! Also, if you purchase inexpensive baby items, you run the risk of having to replace them in a short amount of time. Use your best judgment, and try to stick to baby furniture that is both durable and affordable.
Material Construction
What type of material would you prefer for your baby’s furniture? Would you rather have your baby’s furniture made out of wood, metal or plastic? Or, would you prefer baby furniture that’s made of a combination of materials (such as metal and wood)? Your choice of material could be for aesthetics, to match the design of your home, or as a personal preference.
Quality
In general, higher quality baby furniture may cost a bit more than less expensive baby furniture. However, this isn’t always the case, so it’s important for you to decide the level of quality for your baby’s furniture beforehand. Would you prefer an expensive oak crib, or would you be content with one made of pine? Would you like designer baby furniture, or would you prefer something simpler?
Price
This is usually one of the major deciding factors for any parent that’s choosing baby furniture. Since most of us are on a tight budget, price is often one of our highest priorities. We want to choose baby furniture that fits our current income. Because of this, it can be difficult to decide which of the less expensive baby furniture items are actually worth the price. Far too often, many parents choose a less expensive item, and end up replacing it after only a few months.
Design
If you have a theme in mind for your baby’s room, you might want to choose your baby’s furniture based on a specific theme or design. Because of this, your choices for baby furniture might be a bit limited. For example – maybe you’re doing your baby’s room in a theme of blue and white, and want to complement this with some lightly colored pine furniture. For your baby’s crib, you will have to make do with baby cribs that are made of pine, if you want to fit with the room’s design. However, don’t be afraid to improvise! Experiment with different combinations of furniture, and you might be surprised at the results.
Choosing Baby Furniture on a Budget
If you’re on a tight budget, it can be difficult to find baby furniture that is within your financial reach. However don’t give up! There are a few options for purchasing good quality (and sometimes even designer) baby furniture even if you don’t have a lot of money to spare. As far as baby furniture goes, you can always check your local thrift stores for gently used items. Don’t purchase used mattresses, however! It’s always best to purchase your baby’s mattresses new, since used mattresses can have germs, bacteria, mites and other dangers.
Another option for finding inexpensive baby furniture is to ask friends and family members. In many cases, people may have extra baby furniture items in storage, which they might be willing to sell to you at a great price. You can also check your local newspaper, Craigslist and Freecycle for other options on getting baby furniture for cheap (or sometimes even for free). As with any deal made over the internet – be sure to use caution! If you choose to pick up items from a seller, try to meet in a populated area, and bring a friend with you.
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