When you have children, chaos can soon ensue. What was once a clean and tidy home is no more, as having kids means toys, messy fingers, and messy faces. For some, this is a lot to handle, after all, we’re only human, and looking after smaller humans isn’t an easy task.
However, there are many ways to limit the chaotic lifestyle children bring; you just have to be smart and efficient in your approach to containing the whirlwind of your toddler and/or children. Rather than have your children treat the whole house as one huge sandbox, dedicate a space to use as their playroom. By doing so you’re not only providing a safe play area for your children, but you’re also making your life a lot easier to manage.
Be Vigilant When Selecting the Paint
Your playroom will be prone to dirt from grubby, sticky hands, so make sure you paint the walls a color that’ll help hide dirty marks for as long as possible. The playroom will be a high-maintenance area as it is, so make your life easier by selecting a color that’ll help hide marks. Light colors such as white and cream won’t do you any favors, but neither will exceptionally dark tones. Instead, gray is always a safe bet, or if you want to inject some color, orange, purple or even some blues. Once you’ve chosen your color, you should also make sure to find a paint that offers a tough finish. Nowadays many companies offer stain-resistant paint, so make sure to read the paint pot before buying.
Get Rid of the Carpet
Carpet is notorious for latching onto any dirt. Rather than spend time on your hands and knees scrubbing out patches of dirt, mud, food, and drink that’s been spilled, save yourself a headache and get rid of the carpet. Instead, have hardwood flooring (but not too expensive because scratches will happen), and put rugs in place for a softer touch. If a rug gets ruined, this is far more cost effective than having to replace a large section of carpet.
Have Effective Storage Facilities
Your child will come with a bountiful amount of toys. While you may be reserved when buying a toy for your child, grandparents, friends, and other family members will be adding to the pile of used (and discarded) toys with every visit. Even if your child doesn’t play with certain toys anymore, you’ll find trying to throw them away to be far more difficult than anticipated. Sometimes, all you can do is tidy them away so that they don’t become too much of an eye-sore. Have many boxes, cupboards, and shelves ready, and learn how to create a two-in-one storage cabinet and play table for your child’s Lego or other toys. With children, the best thing you can do is be prepared for armfuls of stuffed toys, Lego, books and action figures, and teach your children to tidy up after themselves.
Make it Bright, Make it Fun
At the end of the day, this is a space for your child to play and be creative. While you want to contain the mess your child may make, you need to realize that this is their time to be young. Make the room as bright and colorful as possible; allow for them to be creative. If your child love to draw, have a desk, easel or even a chalkboard wall ready for them. Have large, soft cushions, big cuddly toys and a sofa for them to sit on. Let them play and be happy.