What is a kids-friendly house?

A kids-friendly house is a house that is organized, secured, decorated and furnished in a way that gives children freedom and carefreeness and makes it easier for parents and shortens their daily responsibilities.

How to make the house safe and secure for children?

Children are the most curious and clumsy creatures in the world and that makes them magnets for trouble. So, as not to constantly run after them around the house and be afraid of getting hurt, consider what you can do in advance and thus prepare a safer home for these little gremlins and give yourself a break.

1. Choose furniture that has soft, rounded edges or consider applying edge protectors to minimize accidents involving sharp edges.
2. Keep your large furniture locked in place and sturdy.
3. Fence the pool or install a special alarm.
4. Attach a retractable gate to the top and bottom of your stairs.
5. Install security cameras.
6. Cover outlets with plugs.
7. Put locks on toilets, high cabinets, windows…
8. Keep the foot traffic in your kitchen flowing with a walk-around island bench or a double-entry galley kitchen layout.
9. Install push-to-open drawers and cupboards.
10. Install a mid-mount wall oven.
11. Mount your heavy TV on the wall not to worry about kids pulling it down from a shelf.
12. Avoid glass doors which can be a big hazard for kids with slippery hands and feet.
13. Sink a trampoline.

How to keep a house full of children clean and tidy?

Keeping the house clean and tidy is very demanding when you have children, on the one hand, because children destroy everything around them, and on the other, because the mother simply has neither the time nor the energy to dedicate herself to maintaining order due to other obligations. So here are some suggestions on how to make this job easier for yourself.

1. Use washable interior paints.
2. Use laminate or vinyl for your home’s flooring.
3. Plan your storage space carefully. Have a place for EVERYTHING!
4. Invest in baskets, boxes, suitcases, open shelves, niches, bags…
5. At the very entrance put the coat hooks and a space for their backpacks and boots.
6. Buy fixed-cushion sofas.
7. Consider using carpet tiles instead of broadloom.
8. Make a butler’s pantry, if you have the space, or a ‘butler’s cupboard’. This way, all the gear from the morning routine (toaster, bread, kettle, etc) can be easily packed away, leaving your space free of clutter.
9. Consider installing a composite stone such as caesarstone, smartstone or essastone, instead of natural stone and marble countertops.
10. Display books like Art.
11. Declutter by throwing away everything that has no function or that you are not very emotionally attached to.
12. Write down a cleaning schedule.
13. Start by making the bed! Small things make a big impact!
14. GET EVERYONE INVOLVED! No matter what age your children are, they can and must take on some of the work.
15. Establish daily routines.

How to make the house playful for kids?

The key thing here is to look at the decoration of the house through the eyes of a child and to try to make something in every part of the house with which they can connect themselves to and thus feel desirable.

A house decorated for children is not only a great place for them to grow up, but also gives us a feeling of warmth that can hardly be achieved in any other way. Here are some ideas!

1. Give kids work and play counter where they can paint, build…
2. Make a small wallpaper feature wall or an art print.
3. Include some decor items in every room that the kids can relate to.
4. Give children their own space (a rumpus or playroom).
5. Give your child the responsibility of looking after their own plant in their bedroom.
6. Consider what elements you could introduce to your backyard or courtyard to make it fun and inviting to play.
7. Make a small tent. Fill it with some cushions and a soft blanket for them to play in.
8. Add some kid-friendly word art.
9. Pick a few ”masterpieces” and display them in large frames that will fit most artworks so you can swap out the pictures every few months. A piece of string with wooden pegs works well, too.
10. Hang up a swing!!! Inside or outside, preferably both.
11. Be creative with light. Reach for the sky with motif moon and clouds style wall lights and twinkling planets.
12. Build a book nook.
13. Install an indoor slide.
14. Put up a climbing wall.
15. Make a secret entrance.