Between being pregnant and shuffling work and the household, new parents have a lot to take in before the baby comes. But above all, they’re also making sure the house is safe, secure, and functional once the new baby takes over the whole household. That being said, we’re sure picking the right home materials is not an easy feat, especially when there feels like a gazillion of choices in the market. Do you choose dim lights, table lamps, whimsical streaming light, elegant chandeliers? What about the safety accessories? Do you install them right now or wait until the baby starts crawling?
When you search for these things on the Internet, you’ll find thousands of blogs and news articles dedicated solely to how to prepare your home for the baby. What they don’t mention are the major things that make up your home—the factors you need to consider during the construction phase. This isn’t only about putting corner guards on sharp edges. It’s about choosing the right flooring, wall paint, and layout for your future kids.
Flooring
They say that parents are lucky when they choose the home construction materials if they know they have a kid on the way. Most couples will choose whatever suits their budget or their lifestyle in that phase of their life. However, what happens is when the kids finally start arriving, they have to redesign, renovate, and remodel the house according to what will suit this new chapter in their life. The result is always more expensive than building a home with kids in mind in the first place.
Whether they are in their crawling or bump on everything phase, the best flooring for kids is carpet flooring. Obviously, the carpet will break their fall. The only problem is that carpets also collect dust, bugs, and dirt, so the maintenance requirement is higher than other types of flooring. Most will rather go with solid or engineered wood because it is a natural shock absorber without the hassle of maintenance and even installation.
For your kids’ bedroom, opt for engineered flooring with a European white-oak design. It’s easy on the eyes. It also blends well with a lot of types of furniture.
Layout
The lifestyle of the family usually affects the option for the house layout. This pandemic, a lot of households are looking at maximizing the space to squeeze in more rooms. But before the pandemic, the ideal setup for homes was an open-floor layout. For kids, wider and more open spaces are the best “playground.” This allows them to explore more of the house by themselves (while you watch from a slight distance, of course).
You can also partition an open-floor layout with aisles, movable furniture, and divisions. With kids in the house, the general idea is to have as much space as the house can give. More space will give your kids room to grow, entertain themselves, and learn.
Electrical Sockets
During the construction of the house, you have the option to choose how low or high your electrical sockets will be placed. For your kids’ room, consider placing them higher than what they can reach when they start to crawl. You should also cover them up to prevent accidents from happening. Another thing you can choose to do is to put a switch on the sockets so that you can turn it off when the kids are left in the room.
Storage Space
You can add storage spaces once the house is up, but movable cabinets are the worse for kids who like to climb up on them when they realize they can. How many of these accidents have you heard in the past? Go for built-in cabinets instead. They are sturdier and cheaper than if you purchase stand-alone storage spaces. Invest in as much storage space as your house can accommodate. Kids will accumulate stuff—toys, clothes, and shoes—much faster than your furniture can keep up.
Lighting
Optimal lighting is essential for your kids. They are stimulated by the lights in their rooms, so opt for dimmable lights for the nursery. Once they grow older, you can put in some fun chandeliers and table lamps. You can get creative with the lights in your kids’ rooms. That’s what fun about designing their playroom, bedroom, and nursery. You can get your whimsical side out.
Designing your house for safety and functionality is essential when there are kids. Whether you like it or not, they are going to “rule” the household until they’re off to college. Make sure that your home is the haven they need it to be.
