It’s important to make sure that your home is a safe and comfortable place for kids and parents alike. The family home is often a hazardous place for curious little ones, but modern homes and a market flush with baby-proofing devices and safety measures make safety an achievable thing.
What must be understood, however, is the difference between a child-proof home and a child-friendly one. Safety is vital, but it’s easy to get so caught up in mitigating any and all risks around the house that your child’s living spaces become uninspiring and non-conducive to creativity, learning and fun. It may also mean creating a space that is uncomfortable and impractical for parents.
If you’re left wondering how to balance the delicate elements of safety and comfort, security and fun, peace-of-mind with educational stimulation, then try these 5 tips for creating a living space that checks all the boxes.
Safety First
Safety is, of course, the first thing to consider. No house is comfortable if parents cannot rest assured that their child will be safe there. Remove any dangerous items from arm’s reach and make sure any poisonous materials and choking hazards aren’t easily accessible. Take advantage of the many safety devices available to suit your living space.
You don’t need to create a space that is failsafe in every way, just keep an eye on your little ones and make sure they actively learn about safety and develop safe habits. You can still fill a play space with toys and furniture as long as they don’t present an immediate danger.
Food for Thought
What you feed your child is another element of creating a child-friendly home environment. Natural, unprocessed foods are ideal for a growing child, as well as for adults. Keep any artificial colors, flavors, preservatives and other chemicals to a minimum. Refined sugars and saturated fats should also be limited.
If you can stock your fridge and cupboard with natural foods, with an emphasis on fresh fruit and vegetables, lean meats and unprocessed grains and legumes, then you’ll be developing healthy eating habits for yourself and your whole family. Remember – you’re ultimately teaching your child you to feed him/herself in later life, so keep take-away foods and lollies as a special treat.
Entertainment
Kids should have plenty of entertainment and stimulation but it’s best to control the content to ensure that what they are playing with and being exposed to is beneficial to them. Buy toys and media that are educational or conducive to creativity.
Incorporate Nature into the Home
It’s important to teach your kids about the natural world from an early age. Bringing the outside in is a great way to incorporate nature into everyday learning and play, especially in an apartment or unit where a child does not get to play outside very often.
Consider having a houseplant or two and teaching your child how to take care of the plant. Engage in talk about how the plant is growing, how much sun it gets, any flowers that bloom etc. You might also choose to have a shelf or basket for your child to collect natural items in, like shells or bark. Make a hobby of collecting souvenirs when out in nature. Just make sure that none of the items are poisonous or present a choking hazard, and always supervise any outdoor time.
Routine
Most child-care professionals and academics will tell you that kids need structure and routine in their daily lives. Day-to-day life can be hectic and haphazard for modern adults, so do what you can with the lifestyle you’ve got. Even if it’s something as simple as a structured bedtime routine or once-a-week outdoor playtime, aim to plan some kind of routine to follow. It’s good for kids, but it also makes it much easier for parents to budget their time.
These are just a few ideas on how to make your home more child-friendly, in more ways than simply creating a hazard free space. Get creative, find out what your child likes and needs to be happy and safe, and most importantly, make sure your home suits the needs of everybody in it.
Author Bio
Kate has recently purchased a new home and land package and has just has her second child. She is kept very busy with her children and provides these tips to help you make your home safer for your children.
*This is a guest post by Kate
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