After my second child arrived, I held him in my arms and my husband and I looked at him lovingly as my daughter watched. My toddler then said, “I think we should stay a small family.” That’s when it hit me. We didn’t do enough to prepare my older child for her brother’s arrival.

The good news is I have some suggestions for you on how to make the addition of a new sibling a time of sharing and bonding between you and your first child.

Sibling Tummy Time

As you begin to show in your pregnancy, allow your child to feel the developing baby, and let them begin a relationship early on. Encourage your little one to sing songs, tell jokes, explain the rules of the house, talk about his or her day or express whatever comes to mind.

Family Ultrasound Visit

If possible, have your little one along for an ultrasound. Imagine the excitement you’ll all feel as you see the little addition develop! The miracle of birth is a celebration for the whole family to share.

Track the Baby’s Due Date

Get a special calendar and circle the new baby’s due date. Let your toddler make an X each day as they pass. This is a good way to spend a little time each day allowing your child to talk about how they are feeling and what they are thinking about this impending change to the family structure.

Books about a New Baby

There are great children’s books written to help in this transition. (These, by the way, make an excellent baby gift at a shower for a woman with one child at home.) Make a special date and take your child to the library and read them together. Your little one will feel important, and recognize the sometimes confusing feelings are universal.

Assist with Nursery Design

Are you setting up a nursery? If so, let your child help. I suggest color selection is best left to the adults. Don’t make the same mistake I did and suffer through years of Cotton Candy Yellow in your home. If the two of them will be sharing a bedroom, make sure the older sibling has a say in how the space is arranged, and where the baby’s equipment and clothes will be arranged.

Baby Doll Roll Play

Practice with a life-sized doll. Allow your child to change and bathe the doll, and tuck it into the crib. Explain this is what you’ll be doing when the new baby comes home. This is also a good opportunity to discuss how babies are totally dependent on others for their care, how time-consuming this is, and how big a help an older brother or sister can be!

Early Sibling Schedule Changes

If you’re planning a change of schedule when baby comes (day care, more time with Grandma, preschool, etc.) begin that BEFORE the baby’s arrival. This will allow the adjustment to be made before the Big Event. Your child won’t feel as if he or she is being shoved aside by the arrival of the baby.

Gift for the New Baby

The arrival of a new little one is often an occasion for a baby gift. It’s fun to go on a shopping trip to pick out a baby gift for the new brother or sister that is just from your older child. Make a play time out of wrapping it.

Gift for Big Brother or Sister

And as long as we are talking about a baby gift, make sure you pick out something wonderful and absorbing for your older child in celebration of the new role of Big Brother or Big Sister. Give it to them right before the baby comes, and it does double duty as a way to entertain during those first days when Baby is so time-consuming.

You have no doubt noted the recurring theme in these suggestions: Communication. Siblings feel many emotions as they prepare for an addition to the family. These may include excitement, fear, jealousy, uncertainty and anxiety. By introducing the concept early on, discussing it whenever possible, engaging the older sibling in the preparation and celebrating not only the baby but also the Older Sibling status, you go a long way to promoting positive feelings and attitudes conducive to a lifetime of love and loyalty among your children.

There used to be very little variety available in children’s furniture, but that is no longer the case. Nowadays, there is a huge selection of types, styles and colors, which can make the process much more confusing.  You’ll want to keep in mind practicality, ease of assembly and cost. It’s not as hard as you think! Here are some tips that can help you figure out how to best furnish your child’s room.

There are three basic types of children’s bedroom furniture. The first is the classic style.  Furniture made in this style is made from natural wood and has remained popular because it can be used for both boys and girls, matches a variety of colors and styles, and can be handed down to multiple children. There is always budget furniture available as well. This usually comes in the most basic styles, often requires assembly, and quality may vary.  One of the most popular styles today is the furniture that is inspired by children’s books and movies, or follows a theme like cars or fairy tales. You may find your child will get most excited about this type!

When furnishing a child’s bedroom, keep in mind that a child’s bedroom has a very different function from an adult’s.  A child’s room may double as a playroom, might be used to store toys, and may also need space for bookcases, game consoles or computers.  Space is often at a premium, and should be a prime consideration when thinking of how best to furnish the room.

Another important consideration when choosing furniture is practicality.  Some furniture may need to serve a dual function, or may need to fit into a very small space.  It also needs to be durable, since children can be hard on furniture. Safety is an important consideration, so the sturdiness of the furniture you choose is paramount.

Like many parents, you will probably be on a budget, so you will need to choose pieces that offer the best value for the money.  Choosing furniture that is durable, and can be used as your child grows older is always a good idea.  Also consider looking for pieces that include storage space, or some sort of dual use.

Even though it can be tempting to go for “fun” furniture that your child will enjoy right now, keep in mind that you don’t want to have to replace it in just a few years of buying it if your child tires of it, or outgrows it.  The most important considerations beyond safety should be reliability and practicality.  Keep in mind that you can be creative and do a number of things to personalize some basic items. Look at using paint and decals to transform some bland pieces into something unique and special.

Having so many options for your child’s bedroom can be overwhelming, but as long as you take the above factors into account, you will select furniture that you and your children will enjoy for many years to come.

http://www.designmywallunit.com/

Frankel’s Furniture: A complete decor extravagance

Located in Brooklyn, Frankel’s furniture store offers elegant and stylish furniture that is very reasonably priced, such that everyone astonished by the beauty of their products can actually purchase them and decorate their home. They currently cater to the people located in and around New York City.

The variety of furniture they offer is mind blowing. The store deals with furniture from a large range of furniture manufacturers, thereby giving the customer more than enough choices to pick from. Not many furniture stores today can offer this kind of a variety at such a reasonable price. You just need to name the manufacturer, and it’s almost guaranteed that you’ll be able to find their products at Frankel’s. What more can you ask for?

The store currently offers wall units and furniture for the dining, bedroom, and children’s rooms. Although wall units are their specialty, in each of these categories, you again have a multitude of options and varieties to choose from. In addition to home furniture, the store also plans on offering a wide range of office furniture. This effort will make it a complete one stop shop for all home and office needs. Custom Kitchen ranges are in the pipeline and once this becomes available, the store should see a lot more interested customers.

If you’re interested in purchasing their elegant bookcases, you will be able to get one anywhere between $1595 and $6950 depending on the size of the bookcase and the type of wood used. Similarly, their dressers range from $450 to $550 and mirrors from $150 to $210. Their master beds cost about $5750 and the kids’ bedroom sets at $5000.

Many of the furniture are even available in attractive two-tone designs that make the furniture more beautiful and appealing. You will find furniture esthetically crafted in cherry maple, walnut mahogany, hardwood, and many more quality woods.

To make the ordering process more convenient and simpler for their customers and users, the store currently offers three different ways in which Frankel’s furniture can be ordered. One of them is the traditional method of ordering from their physical store located at 3921 14th Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11218. This should be easier for people living in and around the Brooklyn area.

If you do not happen to live anywhere close to the store, you can easily order the products online by visiting their website at  Frankel’s Furniture. If you’re not convenient placing your order online, don’t worry yet. You have another option that may be even more convenient and less risky. You can refer to the product catalog available on their website and then call up Frankel’s orders department at 1-800-348-4848 for placing your order.

You can even get a copy of the product catalog sent to your mail address if you choose. All you have to do is just call up their toll free number mentioned earlier or email them your name and address in order to get a product catalog copy for yourself. It cannot get any easier – ordering furniture from the comfort of your home or office.

http://www.designmywallunit.com/