If you grew up in a large family or have built one of your own, you know all about the unique challenges and difficulties bigger than average families may face. Everything from their home to weekly groceries to family vacations will cost more than for a smaller family.
There can also be a lot more messes to clean up, which can take up a lot of precious time. But have you ever thought about how having a lot of children might change the way you design your home?
Here are 5 home design tips for big families!
Install Hardwood Floors
Installing new floors in your home may be one of the first steps you want to take in order to minimize the inevitable mess your large family will make. With lots of feet and coming in and out, add in any pets you have and accidental spills – any type of carpeting can get ruined real quick.
Alternative floorings may be easy enough to clean, but if you want something that will look great, last forever, and give you the benefits of easy cleanup, hardwood is the way to go. You can always use rugs to break up the wood and add pops of color too. Pro tip – choose washable rugs that are easy to throw in the laundry!
Give Everyone Their Own Space
When you have a big family, you may not be able to give each child their own bedroom and several kids may end up having to share rooms with each other. This is understandable, especially when they’re young, but even in these cases it is still important to give each member of the family their own space in some form or another.
For example, each child should get a corner of the fridge to hang their art on, a shelf in their bedroom for their toys/belongings, etc. This will show them that even though they are part of a large family they are all still individuals, and this is really important for kids to know.
Drawers, Shelves, Cabinets, And Closets Are Your Friends
Organization can be a problem for anyone, and even more so in a big family where there is plenty of stuff to lose track of. Keeping your home as organized as possible will help to alleviate stress in your life, but of course this is easier said than done.
Use containers, drawers, shelves, cabinets, and closets to divide and conquer your messes. Keep everyone’s belongings separated from each other or keep similar items all together – such as having a designated closet just for hooded sweatshirts – so that you will know just where to look when you need to grab something specific, saving you loads of time in the long run.
Having a big family can be chaotic at times, but it is also a ton of fun! Use these home design tips to make things just a little better for everyone in your family.