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Home Improvement
Make it a Family Project By Kelly Burgess
We all want our homes to be neater and more organized, but it's tough with kids. One great idea is to get the kids actively involved in home organization, because what's really important is not just keeping the house neat or being able to find that backpack when your child's running late; it's the sense of ownership a child gets when he's involved in turning his house into a home.
There are also undeniable benefits in bonding with a child over a project. Everyone has a sense of accomplishment, it's a productive way to spend time together and you're teaching her practical skills for life.
Lipford isn't just saying this as a home improvement guru either; he's saying it as a dad. From the time his three daughters were small, he encouraged them to help with various projects, tailoring their involvement to their age and abilities. That, says Lipford, is important to the success of the parent/child project. "Older children can actually pound nails and use a screwdriver, but younger children can do things as simple as helping to gather and hand the parent tools or help with the planning," he says. "Children also love to paint, and if you're just putting on a primer, it doesn't even matter if they do a very good job. Spackling is another way for small children to help out. Have them do the first coat and you do the second that has to be sanded. For them it's just like fun with clay."
