A house is not always a home. It may be an expensive structure, adequate with rooms, yet it may not have a strong attraction to the dwellers. We come across some schoolchildren who say, “I hate to go home!” On the other hand, we also come across adults who miss their roots and say, “Oh, I wish I could go back to my childhood home!”

What makes a home lovable? To the adult who longs to return to his childhood home, it must be children-friendly. The seed of bonding must be planted at infancy, and must be nurtured as the child grows.

Here are some tips on how to establish the linkage between your home and your children:
1. Prepare the home for the baby who is about to be born. Believe it or not, but psychologists are saying the infant can feel if he is welcome to his new environment. Otherwise, the baby would be unhealthy.

2. As the baby becomes a toddler, remove delicate home furnishings – like breakable flower vases — that would endanger the kid or would cause adults to shout “No!” and “Don’t touch!” whenever the child tends to hold or play with those delicate things. This has a traumatic effect on the child: stifling his sense of discovery which will have a negative effect on his psychological development.

3. Provide a place for kiddie toys and allow the children to play with them.
Teach them to return the toys where they should be after each play. This will not only develop their imagination at play; it will also cultivate in them self-discipline and other values that need to be inculcated early in life. The old-fashioned style of some strict parents who simply keep the toys inside display cabinet doesn’t do any good for the children.

4. Be proud of your children’s artwork. You may frame them to be displayed on the living room wall, or gathered into a curtain. This manifestation would not only develop the children’s creativity but also raise their self-esteem.

5. Children’s rooms must also grow with them. Change the motif of their room decor according to their stages. For example, when the child becomes a teenager, the nursery room must mature along with the occupant.
6. The dining room/kitchen would become memorable in the future if the menus served in childhood days were always prepared with endearment. The food-and-love connection transcends from childhood to adulthood. That’s why; there are many married people who crave for the food “that Mother used to cook”, though how simple it might be.

7. The toilet and bathroom is a schoolroom at home. There are many lessons learned within its walls: cleanliness, health, good grooming. Make the child’s toilet training easy for him by making your toilet/bathroom a real comfort room, instead of an intimidating one.

8. Let the garden be a part of your home. Introduce the children to the wonderful things in Nature: the beauty of sunshine, the fragrance of the flowers, the song of the birds, the ephemeral butterfly, etc. It is the first step to understanding health and science. It would also be an early orientation on ecology.

9. Household members are parts of the home environment, too. The adults must treat the children well with kind thoughts, words and deeds. Hurting words and actions can etch deep wounds in the hearts and minds of children. Words of encouragement and inspiration will go a long way to reap the success of children when they become career men and women.

10. Create a spiritual corner at home: your house wouldn’t be completely a home without this. At the same time, enlighten the children on the importance of growing holistically.

If you could maintain your home according to these ten hints to make the home more children friendly, there’ll be no child who will hate to come home and your home will be blest with beautiful childhood memories.

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