Parents Sharing Small Room With Baby Ideas
When you only have a very small bedroom it can seem impossible to try and squeeze in everything you’ll need for a baby. But rest assured there are many ways to adapt your space to make room for your new arrival.
And as someone who has designed and styled many rooms, I’m going to share all of my best secrets with you. I’ve been interested in the interior design business for some time now. I can’t tell you how many rooms I’ve decorated, renovated and redecorated over the years.
Not only this but as a parent who once lived in a small one-bedroom apartment, I understand well the need for space conversion.
If you’re struggling to arrange your room for your little one, you need to keep reading to find out these super easy room conversion techniques. Also read here for the differences between mini crib vs crib to make the best choice for you.
How To Share A Small Space With A Baby
Though your room may seem far too small, rest easy, as there is more space than you might initially think. It’s all about being aware of the space you do have and utilizing it.
There are several methods that I have tried that have worked perfectly every time to ensure maximum space.
Dedicate A Space For Just The Baby
To help keep things less cluttered, crowded, and claustrophobic, dedicate a specific baby-zone space. Imagine that you are creating a mini-nursery in your bedroom.
All you really need in this zone is a crib and a rocking chair next to it. A bedside table with a nightlight on it is a must too.
The rest of the room can then be kept as the parent area which makes sharing the space a bit more manageable and comfortable.
I found this layout really effective as you then still have your own designated space, but also have an area within your room for nightly feeds.
The parent space is just as essential as the practical baby space to ensure you still keep a sense of individuality in your room, if you need a guide on how to keep your baby from rolling over in a crib article. .
Leave Out The Changing Table
Ditch the changing table in your bedroom, it’s not necessary to have one and it takes up a large amount of space. Instead, you can either keep a changing table in a different room and change them in a separate room.
Or you can always add a changing pad or mat on a dresser or even just place it on the bed when you need to change your little one during the night.
I tried to design a room layout with a changing table available, but I just found that they were massively bulky and took up the majority of the space within the room.
The changing pad did the exact same job but was much more compact.
Crib Choice
For smaller rooms, it’s worth opting for a smaller crib. There are plenty of options available such as mini-cribs or bassinets that are intended to conserve space.
And they are usually cheaper than a standard crib, so it’s a win-win.
I tried a few different cribs when designing a small parent and baby room, and found that a full-sized crib consumes the room.
Using a mini-crib or a bassinet makes a huge difference and also makes the room feel more comfortable and cozy. We have a great buyers guide for the best mini crib mattress parents need, take a look!
Noise-Reducing Items
You’ll want to decorate your room enough that the room isn’t bare and empty without overcrowding the space. A great option is to choose items that will also be functional.
Noise-reducing items are a great option for parents sharing a small space with their newborn as it will aid their sleep and also provide a little bit of stress relief for the nights when you are kept awake. If you need recommendations for the best cribs for small spaces, check out our buyers guide.
What are noise-reducing items? Things such as long and heavy curtains are a great idea to block out outside noise and keep your baby napping.
I found that rugs and ground coverings would brace the impact of loud sounds that are likely to wake your baby.
And after some testing, it was conclusive that white noise machines that create soothing sounds for your little one are also invaluable assets.
Share Closet Space
Adding another wardrobe to your bedroom is going to take up space that you don’t have. Instead, share your closet space with your little one. Throw away any old clothes to make space for theirs.
I found that this gives you quite a lot of extra space. After trying this out, though, I still felt like a little more space was needed. So I then decided to purchase some organizers for the wardrobe.
This was the perfect fix, most clothes could be put in order neatly and there was more than enough space for everyone.
Remove Closet Doors
This tried and tested method has never failed me. Though it may sound somewhat unconventional, removing the doors of your closet really utilizes space.
Sharing a closet can end up with those doors just trying to burst open all the time because they’re too full. A way to solve this problem? Just remove the doors.
It makes accessing organizers so much easier. You can leave a space open for your diapers and such so that you can grab them on the go quickly.
And then you can tend to get a lot more items in the closet when there are no confinements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, in fact, it is actually recommended by the AAP that parents share a room with their baby. However, you should not share a bed.
The AAP recommends that a baby should not have their own room until they are a minimum of six months old. It is ideal to wait until your child is 12 months or older before they stop sleeping in their parents’ room to reduce the risk of sudden infant death syndrome.
You should never place a crib in front of a window. This is because there are several risk factors. Babies can get caught in blind cords, drapes, and curtains or potentially fall through window screens.
Final Thoughts
Finding space for your double crib for twins in a small room for your new arrival may seem like an impossible task, but it’s not at all. It can seem daunting at first, trying to find ways to rearrange your room to accommodate another addition.
But if you follow these tips and tricks within this article, you’ll find that there is actually so much more space in your room than you initially thought.
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