The family home is more than just a house. It is the center of operations for the family unit, and even the busiest families spend a great deal of time there. But is your home setup to work for you and your family in the best way possible? Or it causing you unnecessary stress? Read on to find out.
Improve safety
One thing that can cause anxiety and stress in family life, which can contribute to frayed tempers and difficulties is concerns about safety in the home.
This can be inside safety, as in any dangers that might be problematic to the residents like steep stairs, scolding hot water, and slip and trip hazards. It can also refer to security issues such as window and door locks, burglar alarms, and the like.
Obviously, each issue needs to be identified and sorted according to what would be most useful. Inside issues can often be resolved by making small changes such as installing corner bumpers to sharp edges. Or laying rug grip to stop slips and trips, especially helpful if you have lots little ones that sometimes forget that they shouldn’t run indoors.
Security issue can be a little more difficult to resolve, although things are finally getting easier with the many smart systems now on the market.
One thing to consider is installing CCTV that you can monitor from your phone or laptop. Even when you are out of the country for an added layer of a piece of mind. Also, upgrade windows to contain the best anti-tamper security features to ensure you minimize the risk of a break in as much as possible.
Replace beds and mattresses
One thing that we all need is sleep, and without enough of it, we can get stressed and ill. But getting the right amount of quality unbroken sleep is something that eludes many of us. This can be due to lots of different reasons that may need our attention such as an uncomfortable bed, too much light, or getting too hot in the night.
In particular, getting too hot in the night can seriously affect the quality of our sleep, making it hard to nod off and difficult to not wake up throughout the night. But what can be done about this?
Well, one thing you can do is to change your mattress. This is because some mattresses are much worse at retaining the heat from your body during the night than others.
This is an issue that many people find with memory foam mattresses, but luckily there are now products out there like Nectar mattresses that include a cooling effect. Meaning that they will make it a lot easier to get a good night of unbroken sleep, even in the warmest of conditions.
Something that has the knock on effect on improving your mood and health, so you can be ready for any challenge the family and life throws at you the next day.
Eat at the table
An incredible small change that you can make to get an easier home life is to bring the family together once a day around the dinner table. Eating a meal at the table instead of on our laps on trays can help improve your family life in all sorts of ways.
Firstly, it allows you to take your time over eating, enjoying your food, and even brings added awareness so you can stop eating when you are full.
Secondly, it a great time to devote to family life, where you can have conversations and catch up with each member of the family. Also checking on how they are doing and offering support if necessary.
Also, this will have a positive effect as you will feel more connected with your partner and kids, and the will feel the same. Giving this undivided attention can also really help when you have children, as then they don’t feel they are fighting for your focus.
Get organized
There are many home and family blogs out there, extolling the avenues of being organized. All with lots of great tips on how to do. However, not many of the actually explain why being organized is going to make your home life easier.
It’s because when you know where things are, and you have space to actually live in, you and the others around you are going to be less irritable and less stressed. Thus minimizing arguments.
Also, it’s important to remember here, that being organized isn’t an excuse to be regimented and inflexible. Being organized does take some focus and effort, but it should be done in a compassionate and measured way. As if you are spending all of your time and energy getting everything to be perfect, you will likely create more stress and uncomfort for you and you family. Something that negates the benefits of doing it in the first place.
Get on top of the cleaning
By getting on top of the cleaning, I don’t mean that you have to spend your afternoons off on your hands and knees with a scrubbing brush. Yes, they say cleanliness is next to Godliness, but no one wants to grow up in a home that they are terrified to drop a crumb in, or that has plastic on the couch.
In fact, the same aware but relaxed attitude applies to cleaning as it does to organization. If you hold on too tight, you won’t get the desired result of stress reduction due to living in a pleasant family home.
Instead, set a reasonable schedule that you can set down and pick up according to how busy you are and your energy levels at the time. It can also help to get the rest of the family to help you.
As not only does this get them to appreciate the work that goes into keeping the family home clean, meaning they will be more careful generally. But it also gets them in a great habit for later on in life as they aren’t going to expect that the magical cleaning fairy will come along and do it all for them when they move out.
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