The living room is the place where the family spends time together. After a hearty meal or during the weekends, family bonding is definitely done in the living room. However, kids nowadays are easily bored. If you’re a parent who wants to keep their kids at home and be preoccupied, you need to start in your living room.
Here are some tips that you can do to use living room wisely while keeping the kids entertained at home:
- Make your living room the play room. Unless you have an extra room in your house as you kids’ designated play room, you can utilize your living room as their play room. This is also a great idea for kids with no real bedrooms yet. Allow your living room to be an extension of their room. Let them play and be creative in the living room.
- Decorate with the kids in mind. If you still have little kids around the house, decorate your living room with your kids in mind. Use washable paint on the walls that can be easily cleaned up with some soap and warm water. We’ve all seen the nightmare of drawings on the walls. You can also use chalkboard walls to allow your kids to really draw up on your wall. In addition to that, avoid materials and fabrics that easily stain. Opt for darker-colored furniture that wears better.
- Child-proof your living room. The last thing you would want to happen is to have accidents in your living room. This is probably the first step parents should take after their kids starts walking or crawling. Safety should come in first. Choose kids-proof furniture that does not have any sharp edges or is not made of metal or glass. Minimize having decorative objects in the living room, like porcelain as these can be projectiles. You can also place these high on your bookshelf for safety reasons.
- Dedicate a space. Dedicate a specific area in the living room where your child can play in. This prevents him or her from claiming the entire room as territory. This can be useful if you have guests or have other adults at home. This little play area can be their very much their own. This makes it easier for you to keep an eye on them while keeping the toys in one place. Once you’ve given them this area, you can already let them be creative and have fun while playing.
- Transform it to a family room. A great way to make the living room a fun place is to share it with everyone in the family. This can be a game room where the family can relax at night and play board games or video games. Let everyone in, especially your kids. This ensures that everyone is having fun and is having great family time.
These are just some simple ideas that you can incorporate in your own home if you are looking into making your kids stay at home. By fostering quality family time and letting them be creative, you are letting them enjoy childhood while developing great skills.