Naturally Healthy Parenting The parent's guide to a healthy family
It is an unexpected truth of parenting that children really do need space, because they accumulate so much stuff. Nappies, blankets bottle feeding equipment right through to hand-me-down clothes from older siblings, to drawings, art supplies, and old school materials, to gifts from adoring relatives – it can be hard to make it all fit! However, with a few tips it’s easy to keep track of everything and store it so that your house stays stylish.
Reduce
It’s a good idea to regularly review everything and clear out clutter, be it an annual spring cleaning day, or after the new influx of gifts from birthdays and Christmas or Eid. Have every person spend an afternoon going through their bedroom and deciding what they don’t need anymore. Especially with younger children, it can be helpful to ask questions like: “Have we used this in the last year?” “Could this be used for something else?” “Am I too big/old for this?” Outgrown clothes and toys could be put into storage for any future siblings or cousins, anything broken should be disposed of if irreparable, and anything unwanted can be donated to charity.
Re-think
Think again about how you are storing your stuff – is your space being used efficiently? Fun and personalised over-door hooks can be used for holding everyone’s towels or outdoor clothes, with one design or colour per person. Consider also the vertical space you have available – bunk beds are a great example of this in kids’ rooms, they take up the same level of floor space as a normal bed but add an area below to be used for storage or a study area. Consider high bookshelves in their rooms, or for communal areas such as the bathroom or kitchen, ensure that shelves and cabinets are kept at a sensible height to store not-for-children goods like medicine, sharp knives, or shaving goods out of reach.
Revamp
Sometimes you will have to simply bite the bullet and have a serious revamp. Fortunately, that shouldn’t be too hard. Buy investing in durable and practical pieces of furniture for the room, you can create an elegant home for everything. A large wardrobe with plenty of space is imperative for any bedroom, and after storing clothes may also have space for toys, linens, and books if used creatively. If you still find that you need something smaller as well, a blanket box at the end of the bed isn’t an eyesore and is great for storing everything – its contents can change as your child grows up, from toys as a tyke to shoes, bedding, or schoolwork as a teen.
