When you have children, you accept a degree of liability. You’re not going into it blind. You know that there is a good chance that your perfectly manicured interiors will become a battleground the moment toddlers with messy hands start wandering around.
But the extent to which children can trash the house is quite extraordinary. You can pop out to the shops for a few minutes, only to find that the place is completely flooded, wallpaper is hanging off the walls, and there are toys everywhere.
How does a parent fight back? How do you regain control? Are there any solutions, or do you just have to accept it as a parent?
Let’s take a look at your options.
Explain To Your Kids That You Want To Live In A Pleasant Environment
While kids might seem utterly irrational, that’s not actually true. They’re rational beings like adults, but they find it more challenging to regulate their impulses. They know deep down that mommy doesn’t want them to draw all over the walls. But if the artistic urge strikes, they will.
It is not impossible, therefore, to explain to your kids that you want to live in a pleasant environment. Likely, they do too. They can understand your feelings, so make them explicit.
Don’t Let It Happen Again
The next thing to do is put in place strategies that will prevent it from happening again.
If your kids want to draw all over the walls, put up a blackboard in the kitchen and give them chalk.
If they can’t put their toys away neatly in draws, give them large stackable boxes.
If they keep making a mess with kitchen ingredients, place them on a higher shelf.
You get the picture. Make it more difficult for them to trash the place.
Get The Pros To Clean Up The Damage
While children mostly create a superficial mess, sometimes they can actually trash your house – and that’s a problem.
There’s no shame, therefore, in using disaster cleanup services, especially if you have water damage. The professionals have a bunch of tools that they use to remove damp from your walls and floors for complete water damage repair, leaving your home smelling fresh again. The last thing you want is an overflowing sink causing flood damage that makes your home unlivable.
Create More Structure In The Day
Kids can sometimes trash the house if there’s not enough structure in the day. If they’re not busy with some task, then their minds will wander and they could find mischief.
Finding positive and constructive activities for children in this time of quarantine is essential. Homeschooling is an option for some parents furloughed from work. But where possible, you also need to find things to which your child can dedicate their mind.
Unfortunately, the trashing of the house is something that can occur with remarkable frequency when you have kids. But the good news is that you can fight back. And even if disaster strikes, there are always ways that you can clean up afterwards.
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