1. Convertible cribs grow with your child and can be used from birth to adulthood. The most adaptable lifetime cribs convert first to a toddler bed with guard rails, then to a toddler day bed, then finally to a full size bed.
2. Your crib should have an adjustable mattress height. This makes it easier to pick up your newborn infant. As your baby learns to stand and becomes more agile, lower the mattress so he won't be able to climb out.
3. To ensure that you and your baby can rest easy, choose a crib with the Juvenile Products Manufactures Association (JPMA) seal of approval, which indicates that the crib meets the quality, safety, and functional requirements established by the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM).
4. Armoires are the most versatile type of nursery furniture. Usually offering a combination of drawers, shelves, and cabinets, armoires can neatly store everything from clothes and blankets to toys and televisions.
5. Your child will appreciate a nightstand after she graduates from the safety of her crib. A lamp will encourage bedtime reading and will scare away nightmares. A glass of water will prevent that familiar midnight cry: "Mommy, water!"
6. You'll need a dresser or chest to store and organize your baby's clothes. Choose a timeless style that will satisfy even an adolescent so you can use the dresser all through childhood.
7. Transforming a dresser into a changing table is easy by simply adding a changing pad to the top. When your baby outgrows diapers, you can remove the pad and continue using the dresser.
8. Gliders are similar to rocking chairs but use a smoother, more fluid front-to-back sliding motion rather than angled rocking. This level motion makes it easier to read a bedtime story or breastfeed.
9. Studies have shown that parents instinctively rock their babies at approximately the same rate as a human heartbeat. This rate is the most soothing to babies, as it reminds them of their favorite sound in the womb.
10. Cultivate a love of reading from an early age by displaying your child's growing library of children's literature in a bookcase. Choose a bookcase that might be currently too tall for your toddler; you can keep the more advanced books that you read to your child on the upper shelves until she grows into the bookcase.
