One of the pleasures of bringing a new baby into your home is creating the perfect nursery. It’s a labor of love picking out and placing pieces of nursery furniture and cute decor to surround your child in comfort and beauty.
However, before you know it, your infant will be a toddler. When that happens, suddenly the nursery has t o be quickly re-imagined to suit the needs of this newly mobile person.
The key to creating a nursery for your new addition that will last long after your baby is crawling, toddling and even walking, is to not create a nursery that is toddler-friendly. Rather, create a room with toddler in mind first that happens to be newborn-friendly.
If the order is switched, the hard work and loving care you put into the room can be enjoyed for years to come. Here are some ideas to get you started.
Nursery Décor – A newborn doesn't really see beyond light and color so they are pretty open to whatever you put on the walls, floor and ceiling as long as it catches their attention.
However, toddlers are beginning to recognize shapes, images, cartoon characters, etc. and probably even have favorites. So, design
the room around what you think a toddler would like to see. This might mean using decals, rugs and pillows that can be easily changed. Or it might mean painting something that would appeal to a child of varying ages.
Nursery Furniture – There are quite a few manufactures that make nursery furniture that transition for toddler use.
Always looks for these things first. 
Take the award-winning Stokke Tripp Trapp High Chair for example. It is adjustable so baby can dine at the table, and designed to convert to a toddler seat. There are also plenty of convertible cribs that convert to toddler beds as well. Many convert to a daybed and even full-size bed so it can be used for many years, therefore saving you money in the long-run. And Instead of a changing table, opt for a combo dresser that can safely support a changing pad on top. When baby outgrows the changing pad, remove it and use the dresser for many years.
Baby Safety – This is the obvious one but, sometimes nurseries are created to be pretty but not really safe for a two-foot-tall child. You may find the loveliest thing that is perfectly appropriate for a baby you have to carry at all times. Just make sure everything you get is also something you would be comfortable having in a room when your child is running and playing on their own. Here are some nursery proofing tips that apply for a toddler-safe as well: nursery-safety
Ultimately, your life and your house will change as your baby grows. But, with a little planning ahead of time, those changes needn't be so quick or so drastic.
