Preparing the space for baby’s arrival

Published on: June 16, 2021

Tips on welcoming and preparing for your baby with a stimulating home environment from mum and creator, Elodie.

By Elodie Delacroix

What is more intense and emotional than the arrival of a baby in the house? As moms and dads, we are very mindful of this special moment, these first days so intense in all aspects.

Before baby arrives, you have already prepared your little nest for your newborn. Most of the time, for the first days and weeks of life, you just need simplicity and can focus on the essential needs of the baby: sleep, feeding, changes, hugs, and first experiences of their new world.

Even during the newborn stage, the colors and textures you choose will already help stimulate your baby.  Nice high-contrast fabric for the fitted sheet, for example, will be a form of visual stimulus. Textures are also essential as, during the first few months, the baby will spend most of his or her time on the ground. If we can provide different textures to touch, it will help their development a lot.

For me, I must admit that I didn’t want my daughters to have stimulation that was too aggressive, especially in visual or auditory form. I selected soft toys with very gentle lullabies or no sounds at all, fabrics with textures like ribbons, and many books.

I like to define a universe. After the first months dedicated to gently awakening their senses, I began to create a soft and colorful universe for my daughters. Being a fan of craft and loving to work with fabric, I began to hang drawings, paintings, and other creations on the walls. This not only helped with visual stimulation, but it also gave us the chance to discuss the shapes and colors, and as they grew, mention the artist, his or her vision, style, and so on.

As I was searching for decoration ideas when I had my first daughter, I read advice about hanging pictures of the parents. I was surprised at first but eventually loved the idea. I chose a picture of my husband and me during our trip to Mongolia. We were sleeping in a nomadic yurt and it was so cold outside that our host lent us some traditional clothes. This picture holds very strong meaning for me as it symbolizes our long trip before we settled down to create our home and family, and also the kindness of these people we met, the sharing of the cultures, and the spirit of traveling.

As our kids grow up looking at this picture, we discuss subjects like the snow and seasons, animals like the yak in the photo, the location, the people and their culture, and so many other subjects as my kids are, like many others, extremely curious and ask a lot of questions. I’m so happy that with simple elements hung on the wall, we’re able to develop on so many levels.

Experiencing how much a beautiful space can help my daughters’ imaginations to develop and grow, I’ve gone on to create many other decorations for them including garlands, pillows, and soft toys, all with carefully-selected colors and gorgeous patterns.

I also created a product that has been a firm favorite of my daughters: the teepee. It’s an item that is really important for them as it allows them to have their own private space, where the parents are sometimes invited, and sometimes not. In the same way that some have a treehouse, this teepee helps to create their own world where they imagine, laugh, and play. This touches me immensely.

To me, each parent will create their own universe for their kids inspired by their culture, their story, and their passions. Taking inspiration from our own path through life, we can bring them so much and share some of this richness.

Photos courtesy of the author

About the Author

After 2 years of traveling around the world, Elodie decided to settle in Bangkok and raise her family in this bustling city. Elodie completely changed her professional path and founded Melody from Paris, where she creates handmade soft toys, accessories, and room decorations for kids. Her creations can be found at MelodyfromParis on Facebook & Instagram, and very soon on her website.

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