In 2016, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) released an updated set of safe sleep guidelines for parents to consider. Among those guidelines, one advised parents to share a bedroom (not a bed) with their child until he or she turns 1 or at least within the baby’s first six months. According to the AAP, sharing a room with your baby can actually reduce the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) by 50%.
For most Filipino parents, however, it's a given to share the master bedroom with a new baby, and whether it's by choice or because there's no spare room, he will grow up sleeping with his parents well into his tweens.
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How to organize your shared bedroom with your child
We asked moms on our Facebook group Smart Parenting Village to share their tips on how to organize their shared bedrooms. Their say? Be mindful about organizing and storage, keep out unnecessary items, and never forget to do a bit of cleaning every day!
ADVERTISEMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOWDesignate spaces in the room
“I designated a [place] for each of us in our closet,” shares mom Dys Pacete Navarro. “So my husband knows where to get his clothes even without asking me.”
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Shelves, baskets, and bins will come in handy
“We had these wooden shelves made, and we put neutral-colored bins inside to hide big, overly colorful plastic toys,” mom Joyce Cai shared, adding she also used clear containers and recycled an old laundry basket.PHOTO BY Courtesy of Joyce CaiCONTINUE READING BELOWwatch now
Mariela Uvas made use of baskets commonly used in the bathroom to hold essential items such as alcohol, cotton buds, a thermometer, and a nasal aspirator.PHOTO BY Courtesy of Mariela Uvas
ADVERTISEMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOWMom Audrey Alminaza-Ramos shared her husband constructed this cabinet to store all their baby's things. He also made their baby’s crib and bed with extra storage space underneath the foam!PHOTO BY Courtesy of Audrey Alminaza-Ramos
Annelie Hilario utilized a DIY collapsible shelf to maximize the space inside their closet and organize her baby's clothes.PHOTO BY Courtesy of Anneli HilarioADVERTISEMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOWWhat other parents are reading
Stick to the essentials so you can keep the clutter at bay
Sarah Ockwell-Smith, the author of The Gentle Sleep Book, advises parents to free the room from objects that can stimulate baby and make it difficult for him to go to sleep. Items like toys and books are better kept somewhere else, while the most essential items, such as bottles and extra clothes, should be stored right where you can access them easily.
Mom Katherine Cipriano shared, “I removed everything! As in everything! The only thing that was left inside our room [was] our bed. It helped us a lot to put [our baby] to sleep easily. No distractions. The only thing she sees is the bed, which means [it’s] bedtime already.”
Keeping the room bare may also be a good safety measure, especially for parents with babies, like mom Diane Sanchez Tolentino. “Walang kahit ano sa room except for fans…When baby got older, mattress na lang naiwan sa floor [at] wala [nang] foam tiles sa paligid. Wala pa rin kahit ano para iwas untog.”
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Make it a habit to tidy up every day
Mom Dys Pacete Navarro makes sure “my child [sees] me putting things back to its original place. Every morning after waking up, I fix our bed. Before going to bed, I make sure our room is clean and clutter-free.”PHOTO BY Courtesy of Dys Pacete NavarroADVERTISEMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOWOther moms also shared the following tips:
(Left) Mom Mary Gracelyn Galang folds her baby's clothes a la Marie Kondo! Mom Jeo Tan Lim placed her baby's crib next to their bed so they could monitor him easily.PHOTO BY Courtesy of Mary Gracelyn Galang and Jeo Tan Lim
(Left) Mom Eon Carreon's husband made a "duyan" for their little one. Mom Jocelyn Olegario Permison used boxes for baby's clothes and a shoe rack for baby's toys.PHOTO BY Courtesy of Eon Carreon and Jocelyn Olegario PermisonADVERTISEMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOW
Mom Pennelope I. Baria's husband hung baskets to serve as storage units for their baby's toys.PHOTO BY Courtesy of Pennelope I. BariaRemember you want to create a sleep-inducing space, not just for your baby but for you, the parents!
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