Undergoing a serious remodel can be daunting when you have kids. However, if you know how to prepare yourself and your family for smooth sailing, then all the effort will be worth the years of enjoyment you and your family will get out of a newly-renovated kitchen or bathroom or new home addition. There are several ways that you can keep kids calm and entertained for the duration of a remodel. Here are a few tips that have worked for other homeowners with small children.
Hire a Conscientious Remodeling Company
One of the first steps towards maintaining a controlled environment within the home during a remodel is to hire a company who understand your needs and will apply the extra effort to ensure you and your family’s comfort. We understand that a remodel can be disruptive to everyday family life. We do our best to be as efficient and unintrusive as possible so that you can maintain a sense of normalcy and soon return to your regular schedule. We contain dirt and debris by setting up a barrier protection to reduce dust spread throughout the home and by cleaning up the job site before we leave every afternoon. Additionally, we understand that when there are pets we cannot leave doors or gates open. We also work as quickly and efficiently as possible to limit the downtime of essential areas like the kitchen or bathroom, especially when there are a limited amount of bathrooms available. Having a remodeling company who is conscious of the importance of family routines is a huge benefit for parents.
Keep Your Routines
According to Dr. Eugene Beresin, the executive director of The Clay Center for Young Healthy Minds at Massachusetts General Hospital, “Children rely on familiarity, routine, and structure. Knowing your children and how they react to change, you can actually prevent stress by using preventative measures as opposed to just reacting to their reaction.” This means that keeping your everyday routines in place is essential to making a remodel seem less scary for a child. For example, eating breakfast together everyday is a good way to maintain a sense of normalcy. Even if you can’t eat in the kitchen, find a place where you can gather for meals and make that place the temporary norm. We understand how important it is to maintain regular routines such as mealtimes, so we set up a temporary kitchenette area for your family to use throughout the duration of the remodel.
Put Kids in Charge of Something (Small)
Letting kids participate in the decision-making process of your renovation is a great way to make them feel more in control of their changing environment. You don’t have to let them make all the decisions, but ask for their feedback on paint colors or let them choose the stools for your new kitchen island. Feeling in control of something, even if it’s something small, is a great way for kids to feel invested in the project.
Model Good Behavior
Children are excellent at picking up on emotions; if you are feeling stressed and anxious, your children will reflect those emotions right back at you. Make sure that you are acting calm around your children during a remodel. If you find it difficult to stay calm, try taking some time for self-care. Blow off some steam by going for a workout at the gym, or schedule a date night for you and your spouse. When your children see that you are happy and taken-care-of, they will feel calm and reassured about their changing surroundings.