Sherri's Helpful Hints

Here are some tips to help you control the clutter and make your child's bedroom inviting and organized:



ORGANIZING YOUR CHILD'S ROOM

• Use storage space wisely. Store clothing and toys in boxes underneath your child's bed.


• Make the most of vertical space by installing shelves (however, don't install them too high up for your children to safely reach.) In addition to storing toys on shelves, buy some large plastic crates to store toys in as well. You could always buy a manufactured toybox, which often feature various shelves and cabinets for maximum storage.


• Try a hanging net to store all your child's stuffed animals.


• It's a good idea to implement activity centers around your child's room. This will help both you and your child in knowing where each item should be kept. There can be a reading area, an art area, an area for dolls or cars, a game area, and so on.


• Another great way to help your child keep their rooms clean is through the use of color coding. Buy drawers or shelves in bright primary colors, then place a colored sticker to match on each one of your child's toys. Your child can look on the bottom of the toy to see which shelf, drawer or cabinet it belongs in.


• Clear zipper-close sandwich bags can be great for storing small items like stray game pieces, marbles, dominoes, and other tiny items that can easily be misplaced. Because the bags are clear, it is easy for your child to know what is inside.


• If you have limited space and multiple children, try bunk beds. Today's bunk beds are designed to be perfectly sturdy and safe. However, it's a good idea to let older children have the top bunk and assign the bottom bunk to younger siblings. You will be surprised at the amount of space a bunk bed will save you compared with two traditional beds.


• Get kids into the habit of cleaning their room on a regular basis. Let them put away their own toys and laundry, and give them feather dusters to eliminate dust on their shelves and toys. Although many kids will complain about cleaning, taking responsibility for keeping their rooms clean can increase their sense of maturity and self-confidence.
  
  

SELECTING THE RIGHT TOYS FOR BABIES AND TODDLERS

• Do your own safety checks. Carry out more checks of your own. Think about the age of the baby and whether it is likely that baby will be biting hard because they are teething.
  Look out for toys that might break into pieces in a child’s mouth. Avoid anything that has lengths of cord or string more than a couple of inches long.


• Think ages and stages of development of your toddler. It can be tempting to buy your one year old a toy for an 18 month old. It's generally better to match a baby's age with the developmental age of the toy as baby will learn more. Younger children will be fast developing their motor skills and children over one will be into problem solving and more physical toys.


• Consider the toy’s lifespan. When looking at a potential toy for your baby, think about its uses. Can the baby toy be used in different ways to keep baby interested over a longer lifespan or is it one that can be handed on to someone else within a few months of purchase? Some toys evolve through three stages to keep baby interested when lying flat, sitting up and standing up.


• Read information about the toy first. When buying a baby toy read about the toy and understand what it's for. Babies go through many developmental stages and you want to make sure that the skills baby will learn from the toy are appropriate to his age.


• Don't buy toys for you. Even though you think that a baby toy is fantastic, research it. You might think a groovy play den is the best thing ever but your six month old might prefer his play mat. Babies love play mats because they appeal to their sense of discovery and exploration of the world around them. Play mats with strong defining edges play a big part in giving baby a sense of their own space and their own world. Playmats tend to have hooped rings above that have dangling animals or shapes – this also helps define baby's world as the real thing is just too big for them to take in.


• It's important to recognize that a toy may look particularly strange to you but it has been designed to appeal to a youngster. It is likely that toys for younger babies will have strong contrasting colours, faces, teething rings and lots of lights and music. Toddlers will find more fun in shape sorters, pop-up puzzles, ride ons and lift and learn puzzles. Three year olds will want to play more with physical toys, role play in play houses and draw and paint. If you can think about baby's world in simplistic terms you are already on the right road to choosing the perfect toy.

Different Baby Toys for Different Babies

Your baby will be growing now at the fastest rate. For the next two years you will see significant changes in the way baby reacts to you and interacts with others. There are lots of toys available today at all price ranges to help your toddler discover his world.

• Make sure you select a baby toy that is suitable for your baby's stage of development and do not assume that because your friend's baby loved a particular toy, yours will.


• Toy buying on the internet is a fantastic way of researching and purchasing toys that are right for you and your baby. If you do want to check something out go and see it in a shop first then order online for the best deal.