Family Renovations: Tips for Involving the Kids

Undertaking a large renovation with children can be stressful, especially if they are toddlers. These tips for safely involving your kids in a small-scale renovation will make the experience both fun and educational.

Six quick tips for involving your children in a renovation:

1) Brainstorming

Explain what will happen during the renovation and ask them to share their design ideas with you! This is especially helpful if you’re planning a renovation that will benefit the whole family, like a new playroom in the basement.

2) Customized to Their Needs

Consider what will make your children’s lives easier and how they will use the new space/addition. Keep this in mind when planning the layout! Updating your kitchen? Consider or an extra sink in the kitchen island for easy clean up after baking cookies with the kids. Finishing the basement? Consider adding a half-bathroom near the playroom for quick bathroom breaks! SANIFLO^®’s range of products makes it easy. SANIFLO^®’s quiet macerators, pumping systems and self-contained toilets are cost-effective and easy to install, often in as little as one to two days with minimal construction or damage to existing walls and floors

3) Gain Inspiration and Build Excitement

Let your kids partake in paint color choices and overall decor. You get the final say, of course, but your children may have some great ideas you wouldn’t have considered otherwise! Encourage younger children to draw what they imagine the new space will look like and keep the artwork in a renovation scrapbook!

4) Age Appropriate Assistance

Depending on their age and skill level, children can help rip down wallpaper, paint walls or hand you small tools. Older children and teens can help with heavier work, clean up, and more!

5) Safety First

Safety is always the first concern when renovating a home, especially with small children running around. They are naturally curious and will want to see what is going on. Sharp tools, heavy furniture or harmful products can be dangerous so it is important to set up barriers around the work area, keep tools out of their reach and unplug all equipment when not in use. Set specific safety rules and don’t leave children unsupervised near the work area.

6) Adjusting Routines

A renovation can be a big disruption to a child;’s daily routine, especially when they are younger. Set up alternative areas for them to eat and play in while the renovation is underway and try to be mindful of quiet times like bed time or nap times, delegating quieter tasks to those time periods. Nothing makes a renovation more stressful like an over tired, crabby toddler!

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