Setting up your Toddler’s Room

Older babies just peeping into toddlerhood are often tricky to buy for at Christmas because, well, they already have everything! But one thing they might not have is a toddler friendly bedroom. With children’s toy boxes already filled to the brim, there’s a definite trend now towards bedroom makeovers as Christmas gifts and if you have a plan to update your little one’s space this festive season, we have some expert advice.

1. When the time is right. A big decision around this time is when to move a child into their own room for the first time, or from a cot to a proper bed. Yasmin of Consult My Baby said: “There is no set time as it’s all based on your sleeping and space arrangements, whether your child co-sleeps or crib sleeps, their emotional, psychological and physical development, the family’s culture and general readiness of your child. Remember that this is a transition, in the first few weeks aim for them to sleep in their own space 1 or 2 nights a week, and maybe nap times too. Then, as time goes on, you can gradually increase it.”
2. Building confidence. Toddlerhood is when your baby begins to develop that essential independence, and their own room can form a part of this. Parenting expert and founder of Helper Bees Dr Tamara Bugeme said: “A lot of things happen and decisions are made in a child’s life that they have little control over. This can cause behaviours of learned helplessness or the need to control everything and everyone. Giving a child their own space allows them to have an area in their life that they can control to a certain degree. It becomes a safe place for them to make decisions and try new things, fail, and try again. Having their own room also teaches them about boundaries, sharing and giving people access to their space. This will give them confidence and security to navigate an ever changing world.”
3. Designing the space. A toddler’s room has to be both play space and sleeping space, so consider the design. Dr Tamara Bugeme suggests: “When designing your child’s room, place toys and books within their reach so that they can access them and put them away when they want. Have consistent designated areas for coats, bags, shoes to prepare them for nursery and school.” This children’s sized clothes rail in pink or white with little wooden hangers will help them to easily access their clothes to practice getting dressed, or would also work for dressing up clothes! Dr Bugeme adds: “Be clear that the bed is for sleeping, discourage any jumping or playing on the bed as this can be confusing at bedtime.”
4. Tidy up time. Toddlers aren’t known for their tidiness, but you can help them to develop these skills by teaching them to keep their own bedrooms tidy says Karen Sherr of Musical Minis: As adults, we often view tidying up as a tedious chore, but for children tidy up time can be highly enjoyable and beneficial for their development helping them to understand order and gain an idea of predictability. Tidying up also supports children’s mathematical development as they categorise and sort, learning that different things go in different places.” Try using brightly coloured and clearly labelled storage boxes for different categories of toys, like lego, cars or jigsaws.
5. Positive vibes. If the room makeover also heralds the time when your child will be sleeping in their own room for the first time, or moving from cot bed to a big bed, it’s important to make the change a positive one says Yasmin of Consult My Baby who is also a doula and sleep coach: “Like adults, kids make associations with aspects of their lives the same way that we do. For example, we might always go to the same coffee shop on the way to work because we have a positive association with that particular one. Similarly, your child might always want to read the same book because of how you made them giggle the first time you read it together. Take things gradually, keep reinforcing good energy and use lots of praise and rewards like playing their favourite game, or just saying that you are really proud of them. As long as you take things gradually and keep reinforcing good vibes, everything will be fine!”

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