When it is time to buy baby furniture, the range of options in the market today alone can overwhelm first-time parents. Therefore, it is important to take your time in making your nursery purchases so that you make the ones that are right for you.
Here is a checklist to help you buy the right baby furniture.
Budget: Yes, the all-important money factor applies here too. It is easy to go overboard when shopping for your little one. But expensive furniture doesn’t always mean it is right or safe for babies.
– If you are on a tight budget, make a list of the essentials and leave out the rest.
– Also, check various stores to look for perfectly good items on sale.
– Shop through online retail stores for a range of options and really nice discounts.
Essential items: You need to know how to separate the essentials from non-essential baby furniture items according to your needs and budget.
– For instance, a rocking chair is not really necessary. If you can buy it, you can go ahead and do so. But if it doesn’t suit your budget, you can easily rock your child to sleep in your lap.
– A crib is an essential baby furniture item and so is a crib mattress. Do you also need a bassinet or a playpen? What about a changing table? Do you need one that comes with all the bells and whistles such as guardrails, safety straps and drawers? Or can you do with a simple table with diaper stored in a basket or cabinet just next to the changing table? If you had a natural birth or don’t have any back pain, you can easily change diapers while sitting on the floor. This is perfectly acceptable way to change your baby’s nappies in the safest way possible. You can use a nice rug or a small mattress for this purpose.
Safety factors: This is a really important consideration when buying baby furniture. Paying more for safe baby furniture must always top buying items you don’t really need.
– Look for paint on cribs and other furniture. Are these of good quality or contain toxic fumes? Are there any nails sticking out of furniture joints? What is the material used in the furniture? When you start shopping for baby furniture with these questions in mind, you can ensure that you are making safe purchases.
– Also consider safety measures like keeping the crib free of toys and pillows. These items can cause suffocation or even allergies if not made with good quality material. It is best to spend more on a good quality mattress and sheet for the crib than fill it with toys.
Buying baby furniture is a joyous experience for parents. Research and budgeting don’t have to be tedious or stressful tasks. You can make the most of your baby furniture shopping experience by taking time to enjoy each step such as checking out sales and planning the nursery.
Getting an au pair for your baby is a major step. Unlike nannies, au pairs are like temporary family members who will be providing live-in childcare assistance. The most unnerving part of welcoming an au pair in your home is that you don’t know them well. Moreover, the biggest challenge is to make them comfortable to develop a harmonious relationship. Therefore, while seeking the services of an au pair childcare agency, ensure that you avoid the following mistakes:
Here are some popular au pair childcare agencies you can check.
Cost of the au pair exchange program
if you want to host an au pair, be mindful of the financial add-ons. These include non-refundable application and processing fees, program fees, a weekly stipend, language course fees and, an overall increase in your household expenses for a year. Usually, the program fees charged by the au pair childcare services come down to a minimum of $7,000 approximately. Furthermore, the minimum weekly stipend for an au pair is around $200 per week. Likewise, an English language course can cost $500 or above approximately.
An au pair is an adult or a young adult aged between 18 and 30 years, who belongs to a different country and provides live-in domestic childcare for approximately 10 to 12 months. An au pair can play a role of an elder sibling for your children. You can find these individuals via au pair childcare agencies that ensure protecting the rights and interests of the involved parties. By the means of this exchange program, parents get a lending hand and reliable companion for their kids. Moreover, the au pair gets an opportunity to experience the country’s culture and learn its language.
Au pairs are often compared to nannies. However, there are some major differences between the both such as:
The costs of au pair childcare services will vary across agencies. Typically, au pair childcare agencies charge a program fee, which can be between $7,000 and $9,000. These exclude the non-refundable application fees and minimum weekly stipend expenses.