How to Turn a Nursery into a Toddler Room
Motherhood is full of new beginnings. Right, when you’re congratulating yourself for designing the cutest nursery, you realize—dang it, now the “baby” needs a big-kid bed! Y’all, I’ve been there, and let me tell you—I’ve learned a thing or two about effectively handling these new beginnings throughout my child’s life. Here are my tips for how to turn a nursery into a toddler room without spending a whole lotta money all over again.
A couple of things to keep in mind—a toddler can move. You figured that out when they climbed out of their crib for the first time and showed up in your bedroom in the middle of the night. This means some new child-proofing. Toddlers can run, climb, and fall off stuff. They can pull out drawers and spread chaos all over the house in the blink of an eye. So keep safety in mind for anything they can reach; minimize stuff they can climb on; and find safe storage for anything they play with.
Repurpose and Reuse
Unless you had the forethought to buy a convertible crib, that’s one thing that has to go—but check to see if you can reuse the crib mattress in a new toddler bed. The dresser that doubles as a changing table can also get a fresh coat of paint and lose the changing topper to become a dresser for the toddler’s room or for another bedroom in the house.
Time to Toddler-Size
It’s tough to accept, but a toddler may enjoy their own child-size rocking chair more than the glider or family relic you used for two a.m. feedings. A toddler enjoys gaining a little independence, so in addition to a new bed, they might enjoy a little table and chairs for art-making and tea parties. These don’t have to be designer reproductions of midcentury modern classics—just a small, sturdy set that cleans up easily. Colorful plastic storage cubes with one open side (stacked no higher than the toddler is tall) or lined up in a row against a wall make convenient places to stow books and toys.
Adapt the Theme
Most first-time moms have fun dreaming up adorable themes for the nursery. If they were lucky, a more experienced mom pulled them aside and reminded them that babies grow up. If you’re lucky enough to have decorated the nursery in neutral colors, now you can involve your child in deciding for themselves how to turn the nursery into a toddler room. They could select some new colors or characters to add to the room using removable framed art or in their new bedsheets, pillowcases, and bedspread.
When you’re planning and budgeting for the conversion, remember that the next time you turn around, you’ll find a tweener who needs a twin bed, a bigger closet, and a study desk for their own computer!
