Parents always want to create a positive atmosphere around the house to ensure their kids are happy to wake up and come home after school or a holiday. But, this isn’t always enough. While you want your kids to live in a positive environment, you also want them to love their home, and this is much more than just positive vibes and happy times. As a parent, you need to prepare them for the future and give them all the skills they need to love their next home as much as they love this one. So, how can you teach your kids to love their home the way you do?
Make It Fun
A fun home is a happy home, so creating an environment where your kids can feel like they can have fun is essential. Too many kids grew up in households where there were delicate ornaments or expensive furniture, so it always felt as if they could never really enjoy themselves.
Of course, this doesn’t mean you should allow your kids to trash the place, but you can still encourage them to have fun. This fun could take place in the garden or the living room if you have a games console. Likewise, family game nights are an excellent way to bond and create a regular spot for fun, especially if your kids are too young to go out with friends.
Give Them A Space
No one wants to feel like they are just taking up space in someone else’s space. Therefore, your kids need a space to call theirs. This space should be their bedroom and ideally, they shouldn’t share with siblings, although this may be the only solution depending on how much space you have.
If you have enough space to give everyone a room each and have rooms to spare, a playroom is a fantastic option that can give your kids a place where they can have as much fun as possible without making a mess around the rest of the house.
Show Some Personality
Every home should show some personality. You want to show off who you are, where you’ve been, and what you’re interested in. While this may not seem like it will affect your kids much, raising them in an interesting house can create an appreciation for the things you like and make them more curious.
This is especially true if you have spent a lot of time travelling. Photos and souvenirs from your adventures can inspire a similar passion in your kids. When they are old enough, they won’t be able to wait any longer to catch a plane and experience the same things you did when you were younger.
Establish a Routine
Routines are an easy way to help your kids feel more comfortable whether you have moved into a new home or are trying to bring some consistency into their lives. Every family’s routine will be a little different, but you can find something that works for you and your kids to ensure there are no (or at least not many) surprises.
You can design the routine around school or other activities like going to the park or playground, but try to make it as easy as possible. Still, you can always make slight adjustments but this is better to try when the routine is established and won’t cause too many disruptions for your kids.
Keep It Clean and Tidy
Everyone wants to live in a clean and tidy household. Not only does this ensure you and your kids are happy to walk through the door, but it also reduces stress and anxiety and makes the entire home more manageable.
Furthermore, your kids won’t be embarrassed to invite friends over or have their friends’ parents pick them up to go to birthday parties and similar events. Therefore, keeping your home as tidy as possible (because it doesn’t need to be perfect) has a spectacular impact on your kids and shows them how a house should look.
Be House Proud
Similarly, being house proud can inspire your kids to feel the same way. If you make an effort to make the house look as nice as possible, you will teach your kids excellent habits for when they have a house of their own.
It’s easy to fall behind on chores or cooking and cleaning, especially if you need to do it all yourself. Still, showing some excitement when these activities come around (and even making them fun) can change your kids’ attitudes towards all the supposedly boring household stuff they will need to deal with eventually.
Cook and Eat Together
You can also encourage your kids to develop great habits that are also must-have life skills. One major skill all kids need to learn is cooking, and there is no better way to make them fall in love with cooking than by cooking and eating together.
Preparing meals can show your kids that different foods are not as scary as they seem, especially if they are picky eaters. You can also make a show of your dinner times by investing in fancy linen napkins and other accessories to make it feel like an occasion.
Trust Them With Chores
No one should deal with housework all by themselves so assigning chores depending on how old they are can make your life much easier. At the very least, your kids should keep their bedroom and playroom tidy. As they get older, they can help wash the dishes (or at least load the dishwasher) and help with vacuuming or mowing the lawn. They will need to learn how to do all this eventually, so they may as well learn as early as possible.
Home Sweet Home
Kids who love their home will have better self-esteem and look forward to hanging out with their family on holidays, weekends or just after school, if you can instil these habits in them, you can easily prepare them for running their own household when they move out, whether they find a flat or go to university. You can see them off safe in the knowledge that they can look after themselves and will show their new home the same love and respect they showed yours.