When you are a parent, you have to deal with many changes to life as you knew it before having children. From your schedule to the types of foods you buy at the grocery store to the amount of laundry you wash every week, your whole lifestyle has to change to accommodate the tiny humans who have entered your life once you have children relying on you to parent them. Even if you're a grandparent, you may find that your lifestyle needs some adjustments to provide a safe, comfortable environment for your grandkids when they visit or stay at your house. If your house seems kid-friendly on the surface, there are always new ways to improve your home so that it's a safer and more fun place for children to live and grow.
1. Keep the Kiddos Cozy
When it comes to the loss and gain of heat, about 25%-30% or approximately a quarter of it happens through the windows in residential heating and cooling energy use. Once you know this, you can add elements to the windows that may prevent heat loss in the winter or the gain of heat in the summer. Some common tactics for preventing heat loss and gain through the windows are using thick curtains that help keep cool air inside in the summer and warm air inside in the winter or ensuring that the windows are properly sealed to keep conditioned and heated air from escaping.
2. Provide a Stable Roof Over Their Heads
When we talk about putting a roof over your family's heads, we aren't just talking about financially providing a stable place to live. Sometimes, it means maintaining your roof so it doesn't cause any injuries. Since asphalt shingle roofs tend to have a lifespan of roughly 15-30 years, you should have time to plan for replacing a roof on a house that's a new build.
If your house is older, you'll need to speak to the original owners to find out when the roof was last replaced. If it's been over ten years, it would be a good idea to contact a roof inspector. If you have any doubts about the safety of your roof for children, a roof inspector can advise on repairs and reinforcement if necessary.
3. Cook Up a Kid-Friendly Kitchen Renovation Plan
At roughly 81%, kitchen remodels tend to be the renovations with the highest popularity. This makes sense since many homeowners want to change their kitchen to accommodate their cooking needs after they've lived in the home for quite some time. If you have children, you may need to renovate your kitchen so it's not only functional for cooking meals that are large enough to feed your family but also so that it's safe for your children to help with cooking or spend time in the kitchen.
Sometimes, families may soften sharp countertops in a kitchen for safety. Another common kid-friendly remodel is installing cabinets with safety features. If you want your kids to help with cooking, you can also install cabinets and appliances at their level.
Sometimes, you may have plenty of time to prepare for your home to become more kid-friendly. If you plan to spend a few years tailoring your life to suit life with kids, you might not need to make these improvements immediately. If you're fostering children on short notice or having a baby soon, you may find that you have less time to think about what child-friendly home improvements would benefit your property before the kids or baby comes into your home. Although it's ideal to have more time to plan rather than less time, there are some things you can do that would instantly make your home a better environment for little ones if you're willing to take the time to do them.
