The stage of creating a family is often accompanied by the desire to build your own house. However, parents are forced to move because of their children because their previous apartment has become too small and after the first few years of work they have already accumulated quite a bit of capital. This makes building your dream home almost inevitable. But what should you consider when building a house with children? We give suggestions below:
CHILD-FRIENDLY DESIGN
The most important thing when building a house with children is flexibility. Since the situation with children is constantly changing, flexible and variable living concepts are necessary, so that all inhabitants of the house feel comfortable in the long term.
The heart of a child-friendly home are the common spaces. Be it the large living/dining room or the large kitchen-living room. Family members big and small gather here, cook, eat, laugh, relax and maybe play together. It is advisable to provide a play area for young children, which can be dismantled as they grow.
In addition to the family room, each family member should be assigned their own retreat area. This doesn’t just apply to children’s bedrooms. Parents also need a child-free zone for themselves. If it can be set up, a second bathroom is ideal for making the morning routine with teenagers conflict-free. In principle, an additional shower in the already provided guest toilet is sufficient.
Children’s rooms should be well-proportioned and ideally not too small. For example, you can easily divide a 12-14 square meter square area into different areas for learning, playing and sleeping. Flexibility is needed during setup. The classics are the height-adjustable desk and the changing table, which then becomes an elegant chest of drawers.
During the planning phase, also think about what will happen to the children’s rooms once the children have left. Perhaps the children’s room can then be used as a study or transformed into a walk-in closet.
CHILD-FRIENDLY EQUIPMENT
A child-friendly home also includes the right furniture. Floor coverings in the living area and children’s bedrooms should be durable and easy to clean. In the bathroom, slip resistance is particularly important. The design of the stairs is also important. Parents with young children should avoid an open staircase without risers. To prevent the stair railing from becoming a climbing structure, the bars must be installed vertically and, for safety reasons, less than 12 cm from each other.
A fence around your property is worth its weight in gold. Keeps your kids and pets inside and uninvited guests like loose dogs or strangers outside.
INCLUDE CHILDREN IN THE PLANNING
Designing and building your own house is also an exciting and exciting thing for children. That’s why they should be included in your home construction project right from the start. If children can identify with the new house, they will develop their own anticipation towards the new house and the construction phase will be less stressful for all family members.
Of course, the age of the children plays an important role in the level of involvement in home planning. But even if you have small children you can browse the home catalogs together or fantasize about the design of your children’s bedroom. Children’s right to have a say should not just be limited to their bedroom furniture. Children should also have a say in the location, such as near or far from the parents’ bedroom, and the size of the children’s rooms.
If they are siblings, you can discuss with the children whether they would share a large room or whether they would each prefer their own room. In the case of a shared bedroom, an additional playroom should still be provided or the room should be divisible with two entrances and drywall. Because if the children then changed their minds and no longer wanted to sleep together in the same room, each child would easily have their own room.
If children have their own bathroom, they should be free to decide on its layout and furnishings. You can also ask children their opinion on one or another detail. For example, is it better to place the kitchen table lengthwise or across the room? If children state their opinion, they feel taken seriously and included. If you decide against the children’s opinion, explain why you decided differently.
SAFETY ON SITE
Before construction begins, you should think about how to combine construction work and child care. Are there grandparents or neighbors who can look after the children when you are on site? If this is not possible or if children can go to the construction site: make sure in advance that nothing can happen to the children. For example, temporary stair railings should be made in such a way that even the smallest children can climb the stairs safely. The same applies to fall protection on galleries, floor-to-ceiling windows or balconies. It is best to take children with you to the construction site only if there are no tradesmen. So, if in doubt, devices that could harm children are not used.
Babies of crawling age and children up to 3 years old should never be left out of sight on a construction site. Older children must be informed of the dangers on a construction site and must listen to their parents.
Children often want to actively help on the construction site. Depending on their age, when doing their own jobs they willingly accept handyman services, such as fetching tools, shoveling sand, or sweeping a room. When it comes to interior design, older children might be excited about painting with a paintbrush and paper hat. If the children then receive recognition for having made a valuable contribution to the creation of the house, they will continue to do so with enthusiasm until they move into the new dream home.
By the way: As family-run craft businesses, construction partners can easily understand and implement your needs as a young family. Simply contact the nearest construction partner in your region. He will be happy to advise you on the implementation of your plans for building a house with children.
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