If you’ve got a family or you’re planning to start one in the near future, you’re going to want to ensure your home is as safe and secure for them as possible – it’s a hugely important thing to do to keep everyone safe but also to give you peace of mind and to make sure you’re on the right path when it comes to taking care of them. Remember, your home should feel calm and relaxing and be a sanctuary for you and your family, so you’ll need to do what you can to make it feel just like that.
What you do is going to depend on your budget and your motivation and time restraints, but the good news is there’s sure to be something you can do, no matter how small it might seem, that will make your home a better place for everyone. With that in mind, let’s take a look at how to create a family-friendly home in the simplest way; read on to find out more.
Move House
As we said above, some of the items on this list are going to be more expensive than others, and some will be more disruptive, and moving house is one of the most expensive and disruptive things you can do. However, it’s also potentially one of the best things you can do if you want to create a family-friendly home.
The fact is that not all properties are family-friendly, and although you can do a lot to change that, sometimes it’s not going to be enough – if you live right on a busy road or near a river or you’re in a big city with no green spaces, it might be that moving is the best option so you can find a property in a safer area. If that’s the case, make sure you speak to experts like those at mgpproperty.com.au so you’ve got someone to guide you through selling your place and finding a new one. Moving house is a big step, but if you can find a place that’s far more family-friendly, you’ll know it’s the right one to take.
Give Everyone A Space
Whether you’ve decided to move house or not, another good way to make your property more family-friendly is to give everyone their own space to enjoy. In that way, you’ll always know that whatever they’re doing, your family is safe and secure because you’ve designed each room in the best way.
For small children, a playroom or nursery is ideal. In that way, they’ll have all their toys, games, books, and so on in one place, and they’ll be able to play safely because you can focus on child-proofing that room. You’ll also know where they are while you do other things around the house, so you won’t have to worry about them. And having a space to enjoy isn’t just for the kids either; why not make a place for you as well? If you’ve got somewhere to retreat to when you need some time to yourself, such as a gorgeous bedroom, a study, or perhaps a reading nook, for example, then you’ll be able to relax and recharge and be a calmer parent as a result.
To do this you’re going to need the space to begin with, and again it might be that moving house is a good option to get that space. However, you don’t necessarily need an entire room – just a part of a room can be enough if that’s what you’ve got, and as long as it’s decorated properly and made safe and secure, it’s going to work in the same way as an entire room would.
Be Organized
No matter how much space you have, it’s quickly going to disappear underneath a lot of mess and clutter if you don’t stay organized, so that’s another crucial thing to get right when you want to create a family-friendly home – and it’s a simple thing to do that can benefit everyone, so it’s well worth getting stuck in and decluttering.
In fact, decluttering is the first step when it comes to organizing your home, and to do that, it’s wise to take each room one by one rather than trying to do a little bit of everything, which can quickly get tiring. Separate your items into three piles – one to keep, one to sell or donate, and one to throw out – and be brutal; if you really don’t need something, don’t keep it. As for the things you do keep, they’ll need to be organized, so ensure they have somewhere to go, such as a cupboard, drawer, or closet. Otherwise, you’re still going to have a cluttered home, even if there’s less of the actual clutter.
Investing in storage solutions can be a good move at this point, and using as much vertical space as you can is always useful – add some more shelving, and suddenly your floor will become a lot clearer, for example!
Go Outside
When you think about making a home family-friendly, it’s probably the interior that will come to mind – after all, that’s where you’ll spend a lot of time. However, don’t forget the outside as well; if you’ve got a backyard, spend time in it. If you haven’t, find a local park or green space and spend time there. It’s great for everyone’s health, and it’s a wonderful way to bond with your children as well.
Children need exercise and fresh air, and, truth be told, so do adults, so going outside every day (depending on the weather, of course) can really help. If you’re not sure what to do when you’re out there, think about gardening together, or perhaps you could create a kids’ play area (with a place to relax for the adults) so everyone can benefit from being outdoors. A good dose of fresh air and the chance to run around, as well as being able to use their imagination, means you’re helping your family as much as possible, and there’s not a lot more family-friendly than that.