It’s always exciting to know that you’re expecting to bring a child into this world, but, alas, it’s not something that’s always as straightforward as you’d like. No matter what your situation in life is, there will be challenges. This could be financial, panic that you’re not quite ready, and so on. One thing that can be extra difficult is if you’re living in a small space, and trying to figure out how you’re going to make space for your new little bundle of joy. It’s important to remember, however, that there are always things you can do to ensure that there’s enough space. Below, we take a look at a few useful tips for bringing a baby into a home where space is in short supply.
Get Rid of the Clutter
No matter how small your space might be, there will always be a way to make more! For instance, take a look at your space, and you’ll probably find that it’s more cluttered than it should be. We’re all guilty of buying more items than we need, and when you multiple this habit by several years, you could find that you’ve got many more items that you need. And they’re taking up space. So before you’re too along the pregnancy journey, be sure to go through your home and pack up anything that’s no longer needed. You’ll find that you have a lot more space afterward, and you can also sell your items, so there’s some extra cash in the pregnancy fund!
Don’t Overstock
We all want to be as well-prepared for our child as possible. But before you run out and buy everything in sight, it’s worth thinking about the space that all those items will occupy. Sure, it might be convenient to have a year’s supply of diapers and so on in your home, but where are you going to put them all? Have enough to last a week or so, and then when your baby has arrived, you can just take a trip to the store as and when it’s needed. Your home will feel a lot more spacious when it’s not overflowing with baby goods.
Keep Decorations Minimal
You might like to have your home fully decorated with items that help bring your property to life, but if you’re concerned about space, then it’ll be better to take inspiration from the minimalist handbook. Your items would look good and add to your property in an ideal world, but this isn’t an ideal world. Keep things simple — you’ll appreciate the additional space more than you would the decorations.
The Baby’s Room
If you’ve only got a small home, then it’s likely that you’ll only have a small room for your baby. But just think about this: your baby is going to be tiny, so they don’t need all that much space! Part of the problem is that many baby items are oversized, but there are smaller options available too. So keep things simple. Remember that you’ll need to think about small nursery safety, so that you’ll have peace of mind that your little one is safe and secure in his or her room. When you’re putting together the room, look at how much stuff you have to play with, and then prioritize the items that you’ll include.
Multipurpose Furniture
Your home is going to need furniture if it’s going to function as well as possible; that goes without saying. However, it’s not as if you need a piece of furniture for every single task. Instead, look at multipurpose options instead. There are tables that can double up as your diaper changing station, for example. When you’re compiling a list of things that you need for your home, have a think if there’s another way to do the same task. Not only will this help you to maintain spaciousness in your home, but it’ll also save you a pretty penny too.
Play with the Outdoors
While most of your thinking will be about how you can manage your child in your small home, it’s also worth thinking about yourself too. Remember, if the parent feels happy and thrived within themselves, then the baby will, of course, benefit! So look to see if there’s a way to create a space where you can unwind when your partner is looking after your child. This could be in your yard area, for example. You can set up a space that allows you to take a few minutes for yourself. Having the option to go outside will help to take the edge off the pressure of raising a child.
Long-Term Plans
Of course, while you might be living in your current property when your child is born, there’s no law that says you’ll have to stay there forever. So think about your long-term plans, and whether you can upgrade to something that’s a little bigger. This won’t be something that you do straight away, or even during the first year of your baby’s life. However, you’ll find that it’s easier to handle the small space if you know that it’s not going to be forever.
Know That You’ll Thrive
It’s not easy to become a parent. You’re always plagued with a feeling that you’re going to do something wrong! And if you’re looking around your property and panicking that you’re just not going to have enough space, then remember this: not only will you be fine, but you’ll also thrive. It may not be the ideal situation to find yourself in, but people have achieved great things with less. So go easy on yourself — so long as the home is filled with love, you’ll be on the right path.
Conclusion
As we said at the beginning of the article, there are always challenges when you bring a baby into this world. Everyone has their own challenges; yours is that you have a small home. Incorporate the tips above, and you’ll find that this isn’t as big an issue as you thought!
