From the early days of your newborn all the way up to when they grow up to be a hormonal teenager who thinks they know best, designing your home so it ages gracefully with your children is essential. Not to mention that every room matters, from your hallways to conservatories and living rooms. As they age, there will be numerous ways to ensure they are entertained throughout their childhood to their teenage years.
In this article, we will discuss the importance of transitional spaces in your home so that, as your children get older, they will constantly have a room where they can escape from their parents.
Creating Kid-Friendly Zones
When your children are young, it is important to ensure they have a safe space to play that escapes the dangers of the household. That could be anything, such as sharp edges, plug sockets or even loose wires. Even ornaments near tables could be a hazard to a young child.
A consideration for when they are young is transforming a small space/room into a play area. For example, you could have a box room that is currently being used for storage. Consider transforming this into an area where your children could play. If you are struggling for space in your home and you don’t have a spare room, consider transforming a corner of the living room into a play area. Ensure they are not near anything that is dangerous.
Keeping Organised In These Transitional Spaces
We all know that children can be messy, so it is important that they are constantly reminded to tidy their toys up after themselves. Make sure they also have the option to tidy after themselves by having baskets and even cubbies near their play area. After every playtime session, help tidy up with them so they get used to it. At the end of the day, a tidy home is a stress-free home, so ensuring that it remains tidy is good for you and your child.
Create A Multi-Functional Area
Creating a multi-functional area is a great way to ensure that you have a transitional space for your children. This area must be useful for everyone as well, not just your children. For example, this play area must also be transformed into a homework station or even a work-from-home workspace for mom and dad. Have a small desk that everybody can work at, or even use space for creating art to test those creative skills for your children.
If you have a conservatory, this is the perfect place to create a multi-functional zone for everyone to enjoy. This space can be used for numerous things, and it can help connect the indoors with the outdoors if you also have bi-fold doors, perfect for the summer months. Just make sure to have conservatory roof insulation to ensure it remains cool during the summer and stays warm during the winter. This alone can completely transform your conservatory into a more usable room, ensuring comfort without compromise.
Cater For All Seasons
When you are creating your transitional area for your children, you want to make sure that you are considering all seasons. It is no good creating a play area in the corner of the room where it is damp and has a draft during winter. You want this space to be an area where your children constantly want to be. Additionally, you don’t want the area to be in a spot where it gets too warm during summer, either, a bit like a conservatory does during summer with no insulation. Ensure the area is shaded so they don’t get too hot in this play area.
Prioritise Safety
Although you will want to create a fantastic play area where your children can have endless hours of fun, you also want to ensure that they are safe, so you can leave them alone as you do chores around the house. To ensure safety is considered, you want to childproof furniture and the corners of sharp edges. Additionally, if any plug sockets are low down, consider getting covers for these when they are not in use. Finally, non-slip rugs must be purchased so your children don’t trip and fall.
When creating a transitional space for your children, you need to ensure that it is safe. This means that you don’t stress/worry too much when you leave them to play.
Small Changes Can Make Parent Life Easier
All these little changes can make a big difference for a parent, not to mention for your children. Having a safe environment that reduces parental stress is essential for you. Furthermore, these areas can help them get used to independence as they get older. Let them get used to building puzzles and playing with toys when they are alone. At the end of the day, they cannot constantly rely on their parents to do things for them. They need to get used to being independent and doing the little things on their own.
To Conclude
Creating a transitional space that your children can use throughout their early years is essential. Furthermore, there are so many different ways you can transform a space, but one thing to consider is that it is easily adaptable and can age alongside your children. That play area can soon become a homework station and even a small office for yourself. Be creative, and those spaces that you think are unusable can certainly be usable; you just need to think outside the box.