Did you have space for a nursery room? Feeling bad!

[Fireflii]

We have a small two bed home and with interest rates unlikely to be able to move anywhere bigger until the economy has stabilised which might be 2-3 years at least according to BoE predictions.

We want to start a family but currently the 2nd room has one of DHs wardrobes in it, plus we are thinking of putting a small desk in there for work from home purposes instead of having it in the lounge. The room is about 11ftx6.5ft. After our furniture if we’re lucky we’d probably get in a cot, a chest of drawers and possibly a bookshelf and chair.

Our room couldn’t accommodate DH wardrobe and desk as we’ve already got a chest of drawers and my wardrobe in here. There would be space for a next to me crib by our bed that would be about it.

Would it be weird and not the done thing to keep other furniture in the ‘nursery’. Has anyone else done this before? On social media you see these massive nurseries where there’s just baby items inside the room but we don’t have the room for our other storage like this.

@GoodChat - Ds was definitely climbing out of this cot by 18 months. We had to take the side off and turn into toddler bed around then as he was lethal leaping of and I though he was going to break a leg or something

Sorry, yeah, thats what I meant too. I meant there's no way it takes as long as 18 months

OP honestly you are overthinking. I certainly wouldn't put off ttc due to a wardrobe issue . Have a massive clear out and get rid of things you don't need. Be ruthless .

Op other things to consider, if you can have the desk at your mums that solves a massive issue.

Your likely to be on maternity leave for the first year anyway. So won't need the desk.
It might be worth considering keeping your expenses low while you are on maternity, bigger house = bigger mortgage & bigger bills.

We’re in a small 2 bed, DD is just about to turn 3 and has our fitted wardrobes in her room. She also has a cotbed, wall shelf with hanging rail below for clothes and a chest of drawers. We’re changing the chest of drawers for a wardrobe with drawers next week because of the recent proliferation of dresses but the chest of drawers/small hanging rail combo has done the job fine for 3 years. Also, she still can’t climb out of her cot yet 🙈

I’d find another option for WFH space though, whether that’s your parents, or a shared working space (we have a small office converted to a WeWork type space, a remote working group who co-opt unused community spaces and charge for internet, tea and coffee, and a few pubs who do a “work from the pub” package locally, appreciate others may not have those options)

@SeeingSpots yes that is definitely true, but I definitely think a baby, even toddler,can be given all they need even with an office space and wardrobe in their room! As long as it's made safe, which is a major pain with an office desk- as there's a lot a toddler can grab, and a lot of corners a crawler can knock their head on- but it can be done!
Reading through the thread again, I think the OPs best bet is to take up her relatives offer of using their place for desk space, and either put up with father's wardrobe in the nursery and baby proof it, or try and accommodate his clothes elsewhere. I had plastic boxes under the bed for a while in an old place, with ironed shirts hung on back of door- not ideal but doable.
Hope it all works out for you OP

I wouldn’t worry - you’ll make it work. We have a two bed with one an office. DS is now 19 months and has been in our room in his cot the whole time (no he can’t climb out of it yet). We’re just moving now to a bigger house where he’ll finally have his own room. If this move hadn’t worked out then we would have rejigged the office to fit him in there too for a bit, as he is getting to the stage where he needs a proper toddler bed.

I dont think the wardrobe is an issue at all.
I think a different solution for a workspace is needed though. My babies napped in their room with it dark so i couldnt havd worked in there too.

Babies and toddlers do not need a nursery...in fact, young children prefer and feel safer sleeping in a room with their parents!

In many parts of the world having a family sleep room is the norm.

So we have a 2 bedroom flat and a now 2.9 year old.

Her room (that she moved into at 8 months) has her cot and her chest of drawers, a little table and chairs and her toy box etc...

However I also have a small desk and desk chair and an inbuilt wardrobe that has lots of random stuff. DD is at childminders all day while I work from home. DD usually plays in the lounge but there is space for her to play on the floor if she wants.

This has all worked out just fine for us. I clear the desk every day so there is nothing left on it. The room isn't huge but it all fits quite nicely. DH and I both work from home and this was the only option we had.

Also to be clear - my DD went full time to a childminders when I went back to work. So I've never needed to work while she's been at home.

If I have to work in the evenings I set up my laptop in the lounge or in our room on DH's desk if he's not using it.

Thank you, this is great. I suppose people just have to make it work!