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Couples who are trying to conceive their first baby have a lot on their mind – they think about how to get pregnant faster, will probably talk about the future of their careers when they have a child, and might even discuss where the nursery will be, and how they will decorate it. But if you are currently hoping for a positive pregnancy test, have you ever thought about how having a child will impact your home, and how it looks?
As the mother of two young children, I know that kids have a tendency to “take over” your house. When they are just starting to crawl, baby-proofing the home is a priority for parents. Baby gear is likely to be everywhere – a vibrating swing, a high chair, a stroller... And when your baby grows up, toys and books will creep into to those spaces you wanted to have an “adult feel”, and will be highly visually prominent.
Babies and small kids are a joy to have around the house, but boy do they make a mess! This is not something I considered when I was using an ovulation calendar and trying to get pregnant with my first, but it was on my mind when we renovated our home last year. We wanted our apartment to be stylish, and a place where the adults felt just as great as the kids. We wanted our apartment to be very child-friendly, but still have a stylish look. I am proud to say that we mostly succeeded, apart from the odd crayon drawings on the Italian wallpaper I picked with so much care.
My tips? The living room and dining room are the focus of family life for almost everyone. They are the rooms in which every family member will spend most of their waking time. It is, therefore, absolutely pointless to try and ban kid stuff from those rooms. But of course, that does not mean you should make peace with the idea that toys, craft supplies, and books will be all over the floor.
In the living room, we solved this problem by placing stylish wooden toy bins in places that are easily accessible for the children. Because the wooden boxes were not really meant for toys, they don’t have bright colors or cartoon characters on them. And they have lids. We mostly managed to teach the kids to put their toys away after they are done with them, but even if they don’t do that, toys are easily swept into the boxes, and when the lids are closed, you can’t see them. We also bought a nice kid-sized desk where my daughter and son can do crafts, and some book shelves especially for their books. The key was making sure they can’t reach the shelves themselves, and preventing books from being everywhere.
In the dining room, which is also our kitchen, we added a nice wooden play kitchen with pans, cups, felt play food, and kitchen utensils. This keeps the kids busy while I am cooking, looks nice, and limits messes (because they have no desire to get toys from other rooms). They can also do crafts at the dinner table if they choose to. We got rid of high chairs as soon as we could – because frankly, they’re ugly and take up a lot of space. There are some nice looking high chairs on the market for those who need them, though.
Our stroller and all the other kids’ belongings stay in their room. The result is an apartment that offers plenty of play opportunities for our children, without the feel that we live in a daycare facility. At times, there are still toys on the floor, and kid clothes everywhere, but because we are fairly organized (thanks to the fact that every toy has its own place), they are easy to put away, so mom and dad can enjoy a nice glass of wine in a stylish space when the kids go to sleep. You can do it too!
If you have questions about how to get pregnant, already pregnant, or looking for information about fertility treatments, Trying To Conceive is the site for you! With their free and personalized ovulation calendar, women can find out when they are most fertile.
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