It has been an intense time for families and life at home during the past year, especially for the kids.
For many young people, home is their living, schooling and entertainment headquarters. They’ve taken over the dining room for home schooling, owned the family room as their playground, and screen time has become their favourite escape from the humdrum of being inside more this winter.
For parents, the challenge is to keep kids engaged, motivated and happily enjoying their time inside with the rest of the family. Offering them a plan to create their own world of fun and creativity is key to everyone getting along. With that in mind, I’ve come up with a few easy ways to involve young people in home life, from planning meals to decorating. Giving kids a say will keep them engaged and invested in shared home life — and that will keep everyone at home happier.
Share and share alike
Whether your kids are learning from home or simply spending more leisure time inside, it’s important to give them the space they’ll need. If their study, craft or leisure activities take over the dining room table or a shared computer desk in the family room, provide storage space for their daily supplies so the room can be a tidy shared space at the end of a school day or play time. A coloured storage box (or an outgrown toy box) is a great way to encourage them to put their supplies away at the end of their study or play time. Giving them a lock to secure their stuff is a great way to make them feel grown up and keep nosy siblings (and curious moms and dads) at a safe distance.
Up-and-coming designers
Involving kids in the decorating of their bedrooms (and other shared areas of the house) evokes pride and fosters more appreciation for their homes. You can involve your kids by allowing them to help make choices when you shop for home accessories and furniture online. Another way to recognize that the home is their home, too, is to create kid zones throughout the more adult spaces. In grown-up family rooms, give kids their own floor cushions or child-sized chair for watching TV. In the foyer, provide a monogrammed boot tray for their shoes and outdoor gear. In the dining room, provide a small child’s table and guest chair for their own private dining, playing board games or doing schoolwork.
Full of beans
Involving kids in menu planning and food preparation is a great way to get picky eaters to try new food groups, break old eating habits and ultimately eat healthier.
Plan a fun family dinner night — kid’s choice. You can also shake up the mundane routine of everyday meals with a secret ingredient: fun! Serve spaghetti with one giant meatball; let them choose their three favourite toppings for homemade pizza; challenge them to find five different coloured veggies for a stir-fry. All are ways to entice them to prepare, cook and serve the meal with pride. Plan and prepare healthy lunch menus together and let them pack it in their own lunch containers.
Need a quick break from the family scene?
Here are a few escapes you can take without leaving home:
• Schedule a weekly bath or shower spa time for yourself, and lock the door.
• Plan your social media, baking in the kitchen or other relaxing activities for after the kiddies are fast asleep.
• Create mom-Zoom parties in your car: each mom gets warmly dressed, gets in the car and sits in the driveway in her private Zoom bubble with friends.
