Aesthetics, mood, comfort and function are key in designing the family home, but what about instilling a sense of independence? AK at Play At Home Mom recently compiled a greatest hits list of her ideas for fostering a child's capability throughout the home.
These are some of the top tips from Play At Home Mom:
• Hang a low tension rod and use under-bed drawers so kids can choose their own clothes.
• Designate shoe cubbies.
• Devise child-friendly solutions for organizing books and media.
• Install an extendable shower head for kids to wash their own hair.
• Create a rhythm chart so children can have a hand in planning their day.
• Keep a stool in the kitchen so kids can participate in meal preparation.
• Organize snacks at child-level.
• Store all kids' plates, bowls and utensils in an easily accessible drawer.
How have you organized your home to engender your child's independence?
Read more: Play At Home Mom.
(Images: Play At Home Mom)
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We bought melamine plates to match our other plates. This allowed the kids to clear the table and learn to wash dishes without me worrying about broken plates.
We've kept our "kid plates" in an accessible cupboard or drawer since our first was 18months old. It has been a life saver. He can set the table himself, unload his dishes from the dishwasher, help get meals and snacks ready etc. We recently moved the rest of the dishes to the next drawer up and now that he's 4 he can set the table for both adults and kids, help unload the dishwasher and be an even bigger part of our kitchen activities!
Great ideas! My son's babysitter loves to clean, and has encouraged him to enjoy it as well. This is especially awesome since my husband and I are organizationally challenged. At 15 months, he loves helping me load the (front loading) washer and dryer, even if it's mostly because he then gets to push the buttons to make the dryer start. Tonight, he was eager to help his daddy measure out dog food. I love to watch him enjoy participating in our everyday tasks.
Having a routine helps because then you don't have to ride herd on the kids. They know what they're supposed to do at bedtime, when they walk in the door, etc.
Teaching them how to do stuff themselves, whenever the "teachable moment' arrives. How to change CDs in the computer or on the stereo, how to switch between tabs of a web browser, how to help yourself to water/milk/cereal/fruit, how to organize, and how to plan ahead.