As a parent, there are few things that are more important than providing a safe, secure, comfortable home for your children. Sadly, not every property suits children perfectly, and often, it’s beneficial to make changes to cater to your child’s needs and put your stamp on your home. If you’ve recently moved, your brood has expanded, or your house isn’t quite working on a practical level, here are some ideas to help you make your home more family-friendly.
Maximizing space
Many parents long for more space. Children may be small in stature, but they have a lot of stuff and they need room to play, learn and grow. If your family has grown, or you’ve managed to fill every spare inch, there are ways of getting around a lack of space. Renovation and remodeling projects don’t always come cheap, but they are often effective means of adding value to your home, and they provide solutions that deliver on style and substance.
Options you may wish to consider if space is at a premium include a basement or loft conversion or an extension. If you’re short of a bedroom, you’d love to create a playroom or a den for your children, or you work from home and you need a serene space to focus, you could use a loft or basement space to create an extra room. Attics are ideal for offices, studios, and bedrooms, while basements make excellent games rooms, playrooms, home gyms, and workspaces. If a lack of living space is the issue, adding an extension will enable you to create a larger kitchen or to add an extra reception room. If you like the idea of upgrading or extending your home, contact some reputable, highly-rated residential architects, gather ideas from magazines and online galleries and get some quotes. If your plot doesn’t allow for an extension, another option that might appeal is changing the layout. If you can knock down walls between the kitchen and dining room, for example, this will enable you to create an open space that is better suited to modern family life.
Creating child-friendly areas
We all want to feel comfortable and content at home, but as a parent, it’s also natural to want your home environment to stimulate and inspire your children. Home is not just a place to relax and spend time with family members. It’s also a base to learn, play and discover. To tailor your home to suit the needs of your kids and create spaces that appeal to them, think about how your children like to spend their time and the interests and hobbies they enjoy. Set up a quiet area to do homework and educational activities, a messy play zone to do arts and crafts and water and sand play and a tranquil chill-out corner to read stories and unwind. Let your kids get involved in the decoration and design, and establish a routine that makes the most of the space you have available.
It’s vital for children to feel confident, safe and happy at home. If you’ve outgrown your house, or it doesn’t feel like the sanctuary you long for, hopefully, this guide will help you tailor your home to create a family-friendly haven.
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