By Inger-Lisa Hurst
- Throw away the toy box
Toy boxes are great for storing Lego or blocks, but not for storing all of your child’s toys. It might be an easy method tidying up quickly/hiding the mess, but your child will never be able to find what he needs when he needs it, creating frustration – and quite possibly meaning you will end up wasting money buying the same toy twice! Invest in a set of shelves and collect baskets and trays that suit your taste and use these to display toys, books and activities.
- Follow the child
By having a ‘less is more approach’ you will be in a better situation to follow the interests of your child as he develops. If your child is currently into art – create an organised space that has all of the materials he needs to develop his creativity. Is it all about dinosaurs? Start with investing in some dinosaur figurines (I love Schliech) and get out some dinosaur books from the library and see where his interest leads you!
- Make the home accessible
Young children love to ‘do it themselves.’ Make your home accessible to your child so he can practice those essential practical life skills! Use temporary hooks to hang your child’s coat, dressing gown, hand towel etc so he can get himself ready in the morning. Have a mirror in his room so he can take pride in his appearance. Have a basket and stool next to the front door where he can store and take on and off his own shoes. Have a water decanter and some glasses in the kitchen at your child’s height so he can get himself a drink of water when he is thirsty.
- Incorporate a pot plant
Having a bit of greenery inside is not only beautiful, but plants filter the air and also bring a sense of calm into the room. If you have an inquisitive toddler…consider keeping the plants out of reach by using macramé hangers.
- Hang art at the child’s height
We often set up our children’s spaces without actually considering what the space looks like to the child. Hang some framed art at your child’s height so he can appreciate it too! Get down to your child’s height and look around the room to consider how the space looks to your child – perhaps there are more things you can bring down to his level?
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