While I was busy gestating my first baby, my spouse was desperately seeking ways to be involved and contribute. Unfortunately, he could eat all the folic acid he wanted, and it wouldn’t help the fetus develop any better.
photo: Jason Hudson on flickr
Here are some minor home-improvement projects with which a valuable partner or grandparent-to-be can busy themselves.
Install a dimmer on nursery light – I appreciate this feature every day. When you need to convince your baby that 2 am is “sleepy time”, your argument will be a lot more compelling if the room is not blaring with light. My kids are big now, 3 and 5, and they still sleep with the light on “orange” which indicates just a tiny bit on.
Paint the room with low-VOC paint – Whether your fantasy nursery is pastel or electric green, choose a paint that puts off less toxic fumes. (For a lot more ideas on minimizing toxic junk in your house before baby arrives, check out the blog produced by healthy child healthy world >)
Turn down the water heater – make sure that scalding water will not come out of the bathtub by stopping the temperature from ever reaching a hazardous level. There is a dial on the water heater that indicates how hot the water is allowed to get. set it to 120 degrees.
Hang black out shades – There are cheap, momentary ones called Redi shades (a 6-pack for like forty bucks) that you can simply attach under or over your existing window coverings. Or line your existing curtains with an extra layer of black-out fabric.
Tone down your door bell – Mine sounds like a telephone from the 1960s. Not good for napping babies or mommies. Honey, if you’re reading this, I’d like a soft and gentle doorbell before Halloween.