Children quickly outgrow their nurseries and start demanding, as only a toddler can, that they are ready for a “big kids room” long before most parents are ready to invest the time and money in redecorating. Those parents who think ahead will have designed the baby’s room to be easily adapted to an older child, by choosing colors, furniture, and other design elements that weren’t baby-specific. All they have left to do is switch the crib for a child’s bed.

For those who have to completely redo the room to suite the child’s growing needs will want to focus on two things. The first is safety. Growing kids have longer legs and arms and, therefore, a longer and higher reach. Things that were safely out of baby’s reach are now, or soon will be, in the grasp of an active child. When installing shelving, tall furniture and even window blinds, the safety hazards need to be considered and designed around.

The next important element to consider is cost. The last thing a parent wants to do is start a cycle of redecorating for every stage of the child’s development. Choosing durable, sturdy furnishings and fixtures as well as making the design less age-specific will ensure that a child stays comfortable with the room for longer than a year a two. This means resisting a toddler’s plea to make everything look like their current favorite toy or cartoon character. It also means looking around for second-hand furnishings or finding land of nod coupons online to reduce costs.