Collaborative post
When I was little, I loved my room. It was a place that was mine alone and that I felt safe in: here was a space that I could design to reflect me. As an adult, when I finally moved into my own house, I was excited to bring that same energy and decorate an entire home to reflect my grown up self.
Now that I have kids, however, I have to share the space with other people, which means making them feel as at home in this place as I do. Here are some ways that I have built a child-friendly home so that they can grow up feeling safe and secure.
Get them involved
Interior design might sound like it’s just for adults, but it can be a great way to get your kids involved with decorating their own spaces. Child-friendly homes aren’t just about childproofing sharp areas – it’s also about creating a safe haven for your children to grow up in. One easy way to do this is by involving them in the process. Have them pick out what colour they want to paint their walls, or let them choose their bedsheets. By giving them the opportunity to make decisions about their living space, you can give them the security that comes with having a place to call their own.
Create Inviting Play Areas
Kids love to play! No matter how clean of a house you keep, there will always be toys that will inevitably spill out from their designated areas into common areas. We can try to mitigate these impending messes by creating areas of play that our kids will want to stay in. For us, this means soft, rounded furniture, fun wall decals, and child-accessible storage units for toys. You’ll want these storage units to be low to the ground and easy to open, so they won’t have any excuse for not cleaning up! Personally, I’ve found that putting dividers inside their toy drawers can turn cleaning into a fun organising game.
Another way that kids can personalise their play area is by having them contribute to the decoration of it, and doing arts and crafts is also a great way to spend time with them. There is no shortage of exciting activities to do, you can even make them seasonal or holiday specific, such as some these autumnal craft projects I like.
Create Your Private Space
Yes, you read that right. Having a private space that’s just for adults can help facilitate the maintenance of a child-friendly home, because it helps teach them about boundaries. For most people, this will be your bedroom, but it can also be a separate room like an office or a study. Mine happens to be our bedroom, which I have furnished with the interior design pieces that brings me joy.
I have found that Ottoman beds are a great staple piece of furniture to invest in, as the space beneath the mattress is excellent for storage. It’s also pretty effective at keeping your children’s hands away from anything you store inside. It’s important for adults to have their own space to unwind and relax; you’re a person, too! By taking time for yourself each day, you will be a better and kinder parent, and contribute to a more overall child-friendly and happy home.
Summary
Building a child-friendly home can involve a lot of things, like designated areas, child-appropriate furniture, and lively decorations, but most importantly, it should involve your children. No home is more child-friendly than the one that they are able to help create!
