Kids bring laughter, love, and endless energy into a home — but sometimes, they bring a bit of chaos. Their natural curiosity can turn everyday household items into unintended playtime casualties.
Rather than sighing over crayon-covered walls and broken vases, take a few sensible measures to minimize the mayhem while the kids play.
Walls and Floors: Your Kids’ Favorite Canvas
Walls hold an irresistible allure for budding young artists. Blank, expansive, and just at their eye level, they practically beg for a masterpiece. Unfortunately, crayon murals and marker doodles are tough to erase.
Consider these preventative strategies to protect your walls before the damage is done:
- Easy-clean paints: Opt for washable or scrubbable paint finishes. Matte finishes may look chic but are notoriously difficult to clean.
- Wipeable wallpaper: This combines practicality with style, offering a decorative surface that can handle a quick scrub.
- Chalk wallpaper: You can apply chalk paint to your kid’s bedroom walls to give them an easy outlet that doesn’t ruin your living room wallpaper.
- Provide alternatives: Set up a nearby play area with a chalkboard, coloring books, and washable crayons.
Floors can have a similar appeal for kids. Hardwood floors and fine wool carpeting are durable, but a busy toddler can ruin both with juice spills, toy car races, and other damage.
To protect your floors from stains, scratches, and dents, consider:
- Area rugs and mats: These are lifesavers for high-traffic zones. Choose washable options to keep cleaning hassle-free.
- Spill-proof mats: Place these under dining chairs or play areas to guard against messes.
- No-spill sippy cups: These cups self-correct and are less likely to cause a mess than plastic cups and mugs.
Consider durable tile, stain-resistant carpet, or composite flooring for a more permanent solution. All are easier to clean than natural materials.
Plumbing Problems: When Kids Explore the Unthinkable
Let’s face it: Many kids become fascinated with toilets, which might lead to creative flushing experiments. Anything that fits, from action figures to toothbrushes, could take the plunge. Fortunately, this is a temporary phase, but you’ll want to address it before it becomes a serious plumbing problem.
Prevent plumbing disasters like serious clogs with things like toilet locks, which prevent kids from lifting the lid without supervision. It also helps to teach “flushable” rules to your kids; explain what’s safe to flush and what isn’t, using visual aids if necessary.
Regular plumbing maintenance, inspections, and repairs are a must when you have young children. It’s wise to watch out for plumbing leaks, water pressure problems, and signs of moisture or corrosion in your plumbing system, as leaks can harm young, curious kids. You can also install drain catchers to reduce the risk of a clog and should always avoid pouring grease or oil down the kitchen sink.
Furniture and Upholstery: Sofas Are Not Trampolines
Sofas double as trampolines and forts during playtime, flattening out cushions and making dents. Kids also wipe their mouths, feet, and hands on the materials and draw on them with paint or markers.
Here’s how to protect your investment:
- Slipcovers: These are easy to wash and replace and can keep your couch presentable.
- Furniture protectors: Plastic or fabric covers can also shield sofas from damage.
- Stain-resistant fabrics: Consider performance fabrics designed to withstand spills and stains when buying new furniture. You can also reupholster existing couches in this way.
When not being employed for forts, tables and chairs often bear the brunt of mealtime messes and craft sessions. Crayon marks, embedded food, juice stains, scratches, and dents are inevitable.
- Corner guards: These protect kids from sharp edges while sparing your furniture from damage.
- Plastic tablecloths: Wipe them down afterward with soap and water; many can be machine-washed.
- Durable materials: Invest in furniture made from metal or laminate, which can withstand a surprising amount of wear and tear.
With these tips, your tables and chairs will be equipped for many meals and play sessions to come.
Tech and Gadgets: The Battle of Sticky Fingers
Kids love shiny screens and expensive devices. But in the hands of young children, tablets, phones, and laptops get dropped and handled by sticky fingers.
Protect your expensive gadgets with:
- Rugged cases: Invest in sturdy cases that can withstand drops and spills.
- Screen protectors: These guard against scratches and smudges, keeping devices functional.
- Kid-proof storage: Designate high shelves or locked drawers for storing electronics when not in use.
Similarly, remotes and game controllers have a magnetic pull for kids, who might chew on them, use them as pretend hammers, or misplace them.
This can be challenging, so we suggest backup plans. Keep old, non-working remotes and controllers on hand for kids to play with; decorate them to be more appealing than the real thing. Additionally, consider kid-friendly, durable options designed to withstand rough handling.
Future-Proofing the Kid-Destruction Zone
Kids and fragile items don’t mix. If you don’t want shattered picture frames and broken vases, relocate them.
Protect your keepsakes with:
- High shelving: Keep delicate items well out of reach.
- Wall-mounted displays: These provide a secure way to showcase sentimental items.
- Acrylic instead of glass: Swap fragile glass frames for shatterproof acrylic alternatives.
Don’t forget to designate off-limits areas for irreplaceable items. Place them in locked cabinets or spare rooms to keep them intact until your kids get older.
Home Project Planning for Stress-Free Kid-Proofing
A kid-proof strategy helps family homes handle the wear and tear of active kids. A proactive approach to child-proofing your house allows them to explore their creativity and reduces your stress, too.
When renovating, always prioritize current and future home safety. Check smoke detectors and carbon monoxide alarms regularly; tune up your HVAC system so everyone breathes easier, and ensure your fence is childproof. Then, tackle childproofing tasks: cover switchplates and install locks on toilets, cabinet doors, and other areas your kids should avoid. Other kid-proofing projects include:
- Complete larger projects, like installing scratch-resistant countertops, laminate flooring, carpeting, and painting.
- Add protective couch, table, and chair covers; install protective wallcovering and rugs.
- Install smart locks and motion sensors to control access to certain areas.
- Invest in small upgrades, like storage solutions and designated play areas.
Tackling home improvement while raising kids can feel overwhelming. Start your journey towards stress-free living by setting a few realistic goals. Break your renovation schedule into smaller, more manageable parts, and give your children a few kid-friendly tasks to help them feel involved.
Laugh (and Cry) About It Later
No home will ever be completely kid-proof. The crayon marks on the wall and juice stains on the carpet are part of the messy, wonderful adventure of parenting. Still, preventative strategies can minimize the damage and give you less worry.
So, take a deep breath the next time you’re scrubbing marks off the couch or fishing a toy out of the toilet. One day, you’ll laugh about these moments (probably while helping your grown-up kid redecorate their own chaos-free home)!
