Do you like to buy baby furniture that can adjust to your child's age? Like a cradle that turns into a toddler bed ect... It seems like you would get alot more use out of the furniture if you can use it for several more years longer than usual? If you do buy this type of furniture what brand have you found to be reliable?
I had a crib given to me for my baby shower from my father and I can't remember the name brand right now but he got it at KMart. It's a crib that adjust with age and then becomes a toddler bed. I love it and it's very sturdy. It also came with a changing table.
We bought a crib that can "grow" into a toddler bed, then a full sized headboard and foot board. What I learned 1) make sure you have a teething guard while it is a crib as your little one can chew that pretty wood to bits when you think they are sleeping, 2) buy the pieces you need to adjust the furniture in the future right away - they were out of the toddler bed attachments and full sized bed frame adapters by the time my child was 2 and we were looking at modifying and 3) be sure the furniture has a look that you will want to use for a long time if you really want to save money by using it into the future.
I opted for baby furniture items that can grow and adjust with my little one as he gets older. It seems to be more practical, that way you are not buying multiple carseats, or cribs and beds in a short period of time. We have a car seat that adjusts as our baby grows older, that he can use from birth to age two. Our little one's crib also converts into a toddler bed. Our hope is that this will save us money down the road, preventing us from having to buy multiples of the same item.
I think furniture pieces like this are brilliant. Of course, it needs to be of good quality if you hope to continue using it for a long time. I "made" a changing table by simply attaching a portable one to the top of a dresser when my oldest was born. I thought I was quite clever, ha ha. I love dual uses furnishings anyway. They save both space and money, and with things like the decorative cubes, you can use them for multiple purposes. They make great seating for kids rooms, and you can fill them with toys for hidden storage. I think things like this would work well with a "grow with you" bed or baby furniture set.
I went with co-sleeping and a regular bed. My children slept with us until they were ready to sleep on their own.. which despite what most would say, did not last well into their adulthood. They self regulated on their own this way and were quite happy to sleep in their own beds most of the time at a young age. no issues. This way we all got a lot of sleep, no threat to our bond and no spending tons of money on specific furniture that we'd eventually have to get rid of. So much cheaper and much more fulfilling
I love furniture we can grow with. We got a crib that turns into a toddler bed and that's SUCH a great idea for everyone to do! Especially if you end up having more than one child. I have little kid sofas too that don't "grow" per-say, but now that I'm about to have my third child, my youngest can use that when the older ones get too big to use them. It's good to pass things down like that as well.
