How to Create the Best Home Environment for Kids

Every child deserves a happy, loving home to grow up in. But it’s not always easy.

Many of us weren’t so lucky. We didn’t get the opportunity to grow up in a happy and healthy household.

Sometimes, we have bitter memories of feeling shamed or unheard. Other times, the conditions we grew up in weren’t very ideal.

As adults, we get the opportunity to see that while we may have had less than ideal childhood’s, we can change that for our kids.

But we need to have a plan to move forward. We need to make smart decisions now that lead to providing the best home environment for kids.

Here are a few ways we can do that.

Provide Healthy Meals

Eating a healthy diet is a great idea for the whole family. Cooking meals with fresh fruits and vegetables mean your kids will grow up healthy and strong.

They’ll be able to ward off illnesses better and will have more energy. But they’ll also learn to crave healthy foods. This will help them make smarter food decisions later in life.

That means they’re less likely to develop health problems stemming from obesity like diabetes.

But cooking together also provides a good environment for kids. Not only do they learn a great skill, but cooking also teaches kids more about math and science.

When you all cook together, it becomes a fun activity for the whole family to enjoy. And, studies show that eating together makes for a healthier, happier family.

Learn How to Listen

After a long day at work, it’s not unreasonable to want to come home and just zone out. But when you have a family, zoning out is rarely an option.

It’s easy when you’re tired to become impatient with your kids. But it’s important to learn to listen first and then speak later.

It’s no longer acceptable to believe that kids should be “seen and not heard.” Instead, it’s time that parents provide a healthy environment for kids by not quashing their emotions or dismissing them when they need to express themselves.

When kids feel free to express themselves, they develop faster psychologically. They also learn to control and manage their emotions better.

Bottling up emotions only leads to a big eruption and can eventually lead to health problems or poor decisions in the future.

Don’t hide your emotions from them. Parents often believe they are shielding their kids but most of the time, kids pick up on it right away.

While your children don’t need to know all the fine details of your struggles, it is okay for them to understand that you feel sad, or overwhelmed, or angry.

When you label and talk about your emotions, it lets them know that everyone has feelings. It also helps your kids build trust with you.

Clear Out All Clutter

Clutter is the result of poor decision making. Clutter is also exhausting and can lead to anxiety and depression.

Not exactly a great environment for kids.

It’s also really hard to find things when there’s a lot of clutter around. Get rid of clutter by sorting through everything you own.

Get your kids involved because the earlier the skills to get and stay organized, the easier life will be for them.

Organizing teaches you how to prioritize. It teaches you how to make smart decisions that lead to a great future.

You also learn to let go of items that make you feel shame, guilt, or fear.

Keep the Home Clean

Once the clutter is removed, it’s much easier to keep your home clean. A clean environment is a safe environment for kids.

Everyone in the family can perform a set of chores each week to help keep the home clean.

Someone can gather the laundry. Another can do the dishes. As you work together to create a healthy, clean environment, everyone benefits both emotionally and physically.

Here’s a helpful article cover good choices for removing dust.

Plan Family-Fun Activities

Don’t forget to include fun in your plans! That’s the best part about being a kid.

Plan activities outside of the home. They don’t have to be expensive, even a trip to a bowling alley can be a lot of fun.

Plan on having a game night at least once a month. Each member of the family can choose their favorite game. It’s a great way to spend time with one another and enjoy each other’s company.

Even taking walks together can be a great way to bond with each other.

It will be soon enough that your children will grow up and there will be less time to spend with them. Make sure they have plenty of fun activities to remind them of how great their childhood was.

A Good Environment for Kids Has Lots of Love

Love is the most important factor in any environment for kids. The best way to do that is to create a loving relationship and environment for everyone.

Spend quality time with them. Even if you don’t have a lot of time to spend with them, that’s okay.

What they really want is for you to be present and not focused on other things. It really doesn’t matter what you do, as long as it’s something done together.

When you’re spending time with your family, keep as many distractions at bay as possible. Turn off your devices or put them away for the time being.

Let your kids know that all you care about is them. It helps them create an emotional bond with you.