(Part 3 of 3) Yes! Space. Making Any Space Ready, Even for the Youngest HEROES IN TRAINING
Your Child’s Bedroom - SIMPLE is best. A child’s room can GROW with them AND change over time. HEROES would not allow the “pressure” of nesting to cloud their ability to allow for a simplistic space to exist that meets your child's basic needs: Eat, Sleep, Diapering, and Play. Identify how you envision that each basic need will be met within the space, then, allow those components to be your guide, as you prepare for your little ones’ arrival.
As you review this area of your home, consider these questions:
1. How can my child be independent in this space?
2. What am I willing to do or change to encourage independence in this space?
Bedrooms:
Sibling Bedroom(s) - If multiple children are in the home, then you will need to identify how to “safeguard” the older child’s space. Where can your older child place toys that are small or could become choking hazards? Can certain toys be kept in drawers or containers with “locking” mechanisms that your older child can manage, but your new little one would be unable to? Involve your child in the process by explaining the situation and brainstorming solutions together. Your older child may even become interested in joining you at the store to select some of the items needed to re-organize parts of her space. When a child is part of the process, she begins to take ownership of the change, become more willing to accept the change, and feel empowered.
Your Bedroom - First, is this space “on or off limits”? Can a child safely roam in this space or must shebe closely supervised? Is there a bathroom connected to the bedroom space? If so how accessible is the bathroom? Prior to thinking about your space any further, answer these questions first. Simply put, in our home, all choking hands are set away in high drawers and therefore out of reach. Items of concern or fragile in nature are placed on top of dresser, which is also out of reach. In our household, Heroes have aligned and agree that our daughter may not be in the bedroom unattended for any period of time, as there are cords, electronics, an open top garbage can, the bed frame, some antique furniture, and clothes drying racks, in addition to access to a bathroom where the door will not remain closed. Therefore, it is for these reasons that our bedroom is mainly “off limits.” However, we have ensured that the remainder of our home is accessible and safe for our daughter to roam and play freely; which we know she LOVES!
Hero HINT Reminder: Prior to modifying anything in your environment, observe your child and her interests or the curiosity she displays in each space. Allow these observations and your keen (Hero) senses to be your compass.
As you review the areas of your home, consider these questions:
1. How can my child be independent in this space?
2. What am I willing to do or change to encourage independence in this space?
3. Are their areas of my home that I would prefer to maintain in such a way that they are not Yes! Space? How will those areas be secured?
Be sure to check out the other 2 parts in this series: Part 1 and Part 2. If you would like assistance creating a space, be sure to reach out and connect: info@homedayhero.com.