Help – My Smallest Family Member Took Over My Living Room!
By Elizabeth Ferris

A little 10 lb baby has no problem taking over a huge living space.
My living room for example consisted of couch, loveseat, chair, coffee table, T.V on a small unit and a small bookcase that was before my baby. Now along with all of the above I also house a baby swing, bouncy chair, play mat, exer-saucer and toy box all in the living room.

Start by finding a place for everything
So I stood in the living room one day and looked around me at all that cluttered. I felt overwhelmed and about to become Closter phobic. Then I realized the playmate folds to go neatly behind the loveseat and almost out of sight. The swing would have to remain as a piece of furniture would in the central area since you will be using it quite often. However there are many swings available on the market that take up very little space……Great idea to go as compact as possible. The bouncy chair goes at the end of my couch up against the wall and is perfect to hold a spare blankie and my basket of baby supplies. It too then becomes almost out of view. The exer-saucer is the best invention since sliced bread at least in my home so it is a central piece in the living area. I find it would be too much bother to fold up just to clear up a sq foot of space so I leave it where it’s at. Of course you could move it at night when the ownership of the living space is turning back over to you.

Now the most important is your BABY SUPPLIES BASKET. My best advice to any new mom is SKIP THE CHANGE TABLE. You will only end up using it for storage. Think realistically are you going to pick your baby up every time he needs changing and go to that room. For me that would involve stairs every time and my baby is only four months old and I’ve changed approx. 960 diapers…that would be too many trips up stairs. So invest in a basket….not too big but not too small either. These retail very cheap right now and are in style for home décor too.
Shown is an excellent that cost about $10.00. You can find one that matches your design or has a lid…..The possibilities are endless. Now the key to this is keeping it well stocked so everything you need is at your finger tips.

-SUGGESTED ITEMS –
• Waterproof and washable baby change pad (Buy one that will last, look to spend about $5)
• Diapers (A days supply- ten should do it. Remember to re-stock after the last diaper change of the night)
• Baby Wipes
• Diaper cream, Baby Powder, Baby oil/lotion
• Fingers nail clippers (This is a tedious job you’ll be performing more often than you thought.)
• Washcloth, towel and Bar of baby soap (Buy a soap container used for travel and the buck store)
• Baby hairbrush (If needed, my son just has enough hair now to warrant it.)
• A couple small waterproof toys (IF your baby is old enough to show an interest)
• A Change of clothes

Now you have a complete, organized and portable supply of everything needed to care for your baby. Change times are now easy times. Also when its bath time just grab the basket and your ready to go…of course don’t forget the baby. Another item I strongly suggest is a diaper pail that is designed to seal off each diaper individually locking in the odor and cutting down on the amount of times you must take out your garbage.

THE TOY BOX SOLUTION

It slides right under the couch. They also come with wheels on the bottom. They slide out of sight and you can even use a smaller similar container to hold your baby change/bath supplies if you wish.

I hope this article has helped you gain back control of your living area. Of course during the day your baby reigned high and all these items must be out and easily juggled. But if unexpected company is on the way or when your baby relents and goes to sleep for the night it will only take 5 min to take back your space.

AUTHOR’S BIO

My name is Elizabeth Ferris. I live in Northern Ontario, Canada. I am 24 years old and the proud mother of my first child. My son is four months old now and everyday has been a learning experience. I work for an inbound call center however I am on maternity leave now until August 2006. And enjoying every minute spent with my son.
Thank You for your interest in my work.
Elizabeth Ferris

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Elizabeth_Ferris

How And Why To Child-Proof Your Home
By David Crowton

Is your child reaching the age were you are starting to worry about everything he or she might get into? You have all the reason in the world to worry about this because there are more hidden dangers in your house, for your child, than you could ever imagine. Therefore, before your child is even able to move around on its own it would be smart to start securing your home.

Why should you have to child-proof your house, you will teach your child not to get into things? This is a statement you might come to regret dearly if you do not take certain precautions to keep your baby safe. You may think there is nothing to worry about in your house but you will very soon realize what a child can get into and how many dangerous things you actually do have in your home.

You all want what is best for your children and would not want any harm to come to them, right? Well, that is why you need to secure your house, top to bottom. If you haven’t seen it in your own home yet, you have probably seen it on TV, where the kid pulls out all the drawers to get up on the kitchen counter. This actually does happen.

There are so much that needs to be mentioned when it comes to what you need to be aware of in your house like; where do you keep your cleaning supplies, can your child possible get to where you keep all your knives and such, what about electrical outlets, can they get to your stove? All of these, plus many more, are all important questions you need to ask yourself as you are looking around to see what needs to be done.

It is actually quite amazing how fast a little child can be when it comes to getting into stuff like sticking something into a light socket or getting their hands stuck in a door or a drawer. Another good thing to have around the house are gates, the ones you put in the doorway to prevent your child from entering or leaving a room. These alone can help you out a lot but still you need to make sure they are safe in the room they are in.

To have baby monitors placed in each room can also be a very good idea and even though you can’t see your child you will at least be able to hear them to a certain degree. No amount of safety precaution is enough when it comes to your baby but if a person really knew all the hidden dangers in their house they would be amazed and probably quite terrified of what could happen.

Start child proofing your house already today if your child is approaching that age because as you go you are bound to find plenty of things that needs to be done in order for your house to be safe for the little one.

David Crowton is an established expert copywriter.
He is known for doing in-depth research before writing his articles.
http://www.Ispjv.com
http://www.Submitcontent.com

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Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=David_Crowton