Raising a baby in a large city like New York or L.A. provides a culturally rich environment yet presents many challenges as well. One could see it as a trade off from rural or suburban life. On the other hand, your infant will be exposed to wonderful cultures, languages and people that are not available elsewhere, but there are issues such as space management, clutter control and a lack of nature. The best way to meet these challenges is with innovation and a good attitude.

One of the pillars of city life is living in an apartment. Living in such a small space, especially with a baby, carries unique challenges. The biggest problem is the one that can cause the most trouble, noise. Many a fight between neighbors has been started over this one issue, and the problem can be exacerbated when you add infants into the equation. The best solution is to do as your lease most likely suggests and make sure that carpet or rugs cover 80% of your floor. Its impossible to stop your baby from being a baby, but if there are particular neighbors that have a problem, try to insulate the area of the apartment closest to them. If the person lives adjacent to you, put most of your furniture on the wall you share with their apartment. Space management is necessary to save your sanity. The key is to make every square foot multitask, and a good rule of thumb is to make sure that every room can function in at least three ways (i.e. dining room/living room/game room). You can also find ways of innovative storage to save space. Seasonal items like winter baby clothes and baby summer clothes can be stored in a separate facility. Bins and baskets are useful for items that need to be easily accessed like baby toys. Also, remember to carefully select what items are out in the open as these will cause the most clutter.

Another big issue of city life is the never ending war on germs. Its easier to stay away from dirty places when youre out with baby, but you would be unpleasantly surprised at what your shoes bring in from the outside. Asian cultures have the right idea of taking off shoes upon entering a home. Research has shown that your shoes can have such nasty things as dog feces, pigeon droppings, human saliva, urine from animals and humans, sweat and even human feces. Imagine your baby crawling around on the floor with that. So, the best thing to do is clean. Invest in some good antibacterial wipes, and be sure to clean regularly. If you take your dog for a walk, clean his feet before letting him run free around the apartment. Clean your shoes occasionally as well, and dont wear them around the house.

City life doesnt provide as much nature as suburban or rural life does, but there are ways to remedy this. You can bring nature indoors by buying plants. Kids love taking care of plants even from 3 to 4 years of age. The best plants to get are spider plants, bulbs, and beans (not castor beans theyre poisonous). This will nurture and educate your child about nature and life in general.