There are several important reasons why you should make sure your house is child friendly, whether you have children or not. Maybe you need to make room for your own kids. Or perhaps you want to entertain the children of your relatives and friends. Considering the generous mortgages that are available to professionals these days.
No matter what your reason is, it is very important to balance adults interest along with those of children when working on your house. Children need to have distractions along with space of their own. That way they will not only have space for themselves, but the rest of the house can be used by the grownups. Adults like a home to feel secure and calm, and not over-run with children and their chaos.
So how can children’s interests be catered to without you feeling overwhelmed?
Secret Storage
Children’s craft materials and toys clutter the floor as well as your mind. Having shelves overflowing with stuffed animals and boxes full of bright coloured blocks can seem quite busy and make the room seem closed in. What you need is a way to store your child’s belongings in a way that will lessen the amount of visual clutter and still be accessible for kids to be able to take out their toys to play with them and then put them away when they are done.
One really good solution is a toy box which is also a footstool. There are footrests that you can purchase that come with built in storage. Another option is to use a wood storage box. You can always add on a cushion top to it. Kids will love discovering their toys in a piece of furniture’s secret compartment. Also, you can put up your feet on the new toy box after a long day.
Another thing that can really help is shelves with hangings. There are many different options that are available. However, if you have shelves already, you can easily hang a curtain or sheet from the top. This will help to conceal all the clutter that is behind the curtain. Children will still be able to easily access their toys by simply pulling the curtain or sheet to the side. In the meantime you won’t have to look at all the teddy bears and toys when they are not in use.
Temporary Decorations
Children’s interests change constantly as they grow older. If you are a grandparent or aunt with visiting relatives, you may have different children who come over. So use temporary decorations. It will make things a lot easier for you.
Have plain carpet, curtains, walls and furniture. That way they will go with any taste. The room can then be personalised with hangings and posters that can easily be changed. Instead of buying a bed in the shape of a rocket, that will be grown out of rather quickly, buy fun sheets instead that can be easily be changed without having to redecorate.
Channel Children’s Creativity
If there is one thing kids love to do, it is draw. Sooner or later they will draw on the walls. Just like adults, they want to shape and control their environment. So why not let them.
Choose part of a wall. Use blackboard to paint it with. Then have a box of chalks on hand. Small hands can now enjoy the excitement of scrawling on the walls, but in an easily cleaned and self-contained space. The area doesn’t need to be a large one. It just needs to be big enough for the kids to feel they have a place of their own. It’s a good idea to make your multi-bedroom home more attractive to families before it is time to sell.
Get the children involved when it is time to redecorate. They will love painting along with the adults. If they take pride in the way the room is decorated, they are much less likely to mess it up.
Balancing You And Them
Making your home child friendly isn’t about completely giving the house up to the kids. It’s all about finding those compromises that will help keep everyone happy and your house stay in good order all at the same time.
Citations:
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Featured images:
- Photo credit: smartphotostock.com
Amy Rice writes about mortgages, when not writing she enjoys spending time with her family and friends.
