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The Accessible Home
Comfort for the Whole Family By Sue Marquette Poremba
I admit that I am sometimes a lazy mom. When I'm busy, the last thing I want to do is be interrupted by a child who is old enough to fix a snack but who is not tall enough to reach the shelf with the plates and cups. It's not that I'm against helping, but I learned that the interruptions were not only constant, but the kids were less willing to do things on their own because they knew I'd drop everything to get what they wanted.
When we moved into our home, I set up the kitchen with the kids in mind. On the lowest shelves in the pantry, I placed the plastic dishes and cups the kids used, as well as the cereals and snacks they liked to eat. It allowed the kids to have a sense of independence, while it allowed me to complete tasks with fewer interruptions. While it would be impossible to set up a house to be individualized for each family member, it makes the home much more comfortable when the uniqueness of the people living there is taken into account.
"The fridge drawers are a great place to keep snacks and drinks for the kids," says Allison Bergamo of Kitchen Masters. The drawers also make life a little easier for meal preparation and for entertaining purposes.
Bergamo has also seen an increase of people using two microwaves. Microwave ovens are usually hanging over the stove or taking up counter space. "Putting a space in the island for the microwave makes it easier for kids to reach and eliminates clutter on the countertop," she says. The built-in microwave over the stove is handy for meal preparation but can be dangerous for small children or even shortadults who have to reach awkwardly.
