728x90
my iParenting
From Our Sponsors
e-newsletters
Sign up to receive our free weekly e-newsletters

new terms of use
new privacy policy
award-winning products
The iParenting Media Awards program helps parents find the best products for their families.
Home › Articles › Preparing for Baby › The Ready Position

The Ready Position

Preparing a Functional Space for Baby

By I.J. Schecter

Pages:  1  2  3  4  

Once you've developed an overall plan for the space, it's time to start drawing up schemes around each particular area. "They call it nesting, and, like birds, moms need the comfort of knowing a safe, warm place is ready when their baby arrives," says Greg Bishop, director of Irvine, Calif.-based Boot Camp for Dads. "Dads can take advantage of this early opportunity to make a tangible contribution."

Do a few sketches with your partner and, once you've agreed on the most logical plan, map it out as precisely as possible. Take measurements, inspect corners, look out for jutting edges and permanent fixtures you'll have to work around and get a solid sense for dimensions and proportions. Consider not just obvious elements but less obvious ones, too, such as potentially drafty spots or, as Bishop notes, the direction from which the sun hits, as you don't want it waking your baby at the wrong times or making him uncomfortably warm.

"Arranging the baby's room is a larger task than you might think," says Canadian dad Daniel Kuzmarov, father of a 2-year-old. "You'll thank yourself later for taking the time up front."

In other words, don't just glance into the room and casually say, "The crib can go in that corner," only to discover later that it ends up blocking half the baby's window. Or, to put it in the slightly more candid words of Toronto dad Fabian Rucker, father of a 6-month-old, "Don't kid yourself that you'll have time post-birth to get decoration projects done," he says. "Your time will be consumed taking care of Mom, doing diaper changes and looking after your own job, all while barely [being] able to think straight."

The biggest advantage to getting organized ahead of the game, says Armin Brott, author of The New Father: A Dad's Guide to the First Year

Pages:  1  2  3  4  

Want to see more?

Comments

There are no comments for this article yet.Be the first to add a comment.

Post As:
Enter your comment below:
Title
Comment Text
CAPTCHA
Please note that any comments submitted become the property of Disney Family / iParenting and can be edited and posted at our discrection.