I have six year old step-daughter, she lives with her mom so my husband and I only get her maybe two weekends a month. We have the second bedroom set up for her, but I am pregnant with our first child together and I don't know if we can quite afford a three bedroom home. How can I decorate this nursery? If we only get my husband's daughter once or twice a month, is it wrong to just leave her bed in there and her toys and go ahead and decorate the nursery for the baby as I want? I don't want to push her out or her to be jealous of the baby. What do you think? Any ideas?
2006-07-08 03:26:18 · 13 answers · asked by sgrjackson1 5 in Pregnancy & Parenting ➔ Parenting
Yikes, I frankly don't think there is any possible way the step-daughter won't be jealous and resentful having "her" room redecorated to accomodate the baby. Possibly listening to her input regarding color choices or theme could help. I think I'd set up a corner of my house with a desk that she helps choose and fill the desk with special craft materials that she helps to select. I'd make as big a deal out of setting up her desk as I would fixing up the nursery. I'd emphasize that the desk is only for big girls and babies can't get into it. Frankly, however, I think I'd move to a bigger place as soon as I could afford it. Good luck with your expanding family
2006-07-08 06:48:06 · answer #1 · answered by Leah M 3 · 3⤊ 1⤋
If you are having a girl let her be apart in the decorating decisions.. Let her help pick out a theme.. Not only will this make her feel good but it will also help the bond between you and her.. If you are having a boy, pick neutral colors.. Again let your step-daughter help in the decisions.. You have to remember that this is her room too. If you just decorate her room just for the new baby and not take her feelings into consideration there will be resentment towards you and the baby.. I have two step-kids, my husband has custody, the mom has visitation every other weekend, if she feels like it.. When I was pregnant with my daughter I let the kids be apart of a lot of the decisions.. It doesn't mean you have to do what they want like my son wanted to name her Spider cause at that time he LOVED spiderman.. But when it came down to the theme and color I let my oldest daughter help me. She was 8 at the time and just thought she was the most important person with a big job and bragged to everyone!
2006-07-08 07:10:39 · answer #2 · answered by onfire921 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Ask your step daughter what she would like the room to look like. By asking her for her opinion, at least she feels that she has contributed. Maybe not a good idea if you are not prepared to go through with her suggestion. If it is not quite what you would like, maybe a compromise. Let her have her half of the room as she likes and decorate the other half with what you like for the baby. It doesn't make any difference to the baby what it looks like, so you might have to go with the 6 year old's suggestion to keep her from feeling left out. If it were me, which it aint, I think nice pale or pastel bubbles all over the room would look nice.
2006-07-08 03:35:14 · answer #3 · answered by miss piggy 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I would suggest letting the six year old "help" select colors, etc. If she gets to help make decisions, she will not feel neglected. My sister was in the same situation, and she ended up just keeping the baby in their room in a bassinet. But that only works for awhile. So I would suggest not putting it off. Let the sister help welcome the new baby by putting her own personal touches on the room. And make sure that she still has her own area in the room, no matter how small. An area she can still claim as her own. There is bound to be sibling rivalry, so don't blame yourself if it happens.
2006-07-08 07:11:31 · answer #4 · answered by AmandaHugandKiss 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Divide the room in half, and have her help decorate. The last thing you want to do is make her feel this baby means more to you than her. Step childern have a hard enough time getting use to the idea that their parents are not together. I have 2 step childern, they are grown and have familys of their own now But I always treated them like my own. They tell me almost everyday that they Love me. They both live about 5 hours away, but we keep in touch.
2006-07-08 03:40:42 · answer #5 · answered by KIM A 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Is it really necessary to decorate the room for a baby? Just have a nice wall color, a nice rug and some artwork of animals. Decorate it so it lasts for many years..not just a nursery look that wont last long.
2006-07-08 03:32:09 · answer #6 · answered by KathyS 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Do a Peter Pan theme You can use Peter, the lost boys and pirates (maybe not Capt Hook yet he might still be kinda scary at that age) for your son and then do Tinkerbelle for your daughter. Do a bright green as your base colour and then add some purples and blues for each gender maybe even a hint of yellow. A good bet is to find some of those peelable applique stickers which you can pretty much find in any department store so you can add the characters.
2016-03-26 21:31:16 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Sit down & talk to your step-daughter. (I assume you get her from Friday night to Sunday afternoon?)Talk to her about her new brother/sister and how she will have to share her room with him/her. Let her know that her opinion counts and you want her to go with you the next day to help pick out somethings to decorate the room. She would really enjoy that, but if all she picks out is stuff for her persae, then discuss it with her that there needs to be things in the room for the baby, I don't forsee a problem as long as you discuss it with her the night before. And I see no reason for you to have to consider purchasing a 3 bedroom house.
2006-07-08 05:21:39 · answer #8 · answered by ~Sheila~ 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Incorporate your step-daughter in her step-sister's birth- in every way. Trust me, you do not want a jealous 6-year-old sleeping in the same room as your daughter.
And do not put your daughter above your husband's daughter or you'll be single quicker than you can say Big Bang!
2006-07-08 04:11:54 · answer #9 · answered by canguroargentino 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
decorate half the room for the baby or let the other girl move into a new room
2006-07-08 03:30:09 · answer #10 · answered by loveyourdoggies 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋