Home Downsizing With Kids
How to Create Space for Your Children
Downsizing your home is a relatively easy, and quite cost-effective way, of taking control of your finances. The downsized home is often much cheaper to live in, allowing you to save the extra money, or even put it towards other, more pressing, expenditures. However, your new home is probably quite a bit smaller than your previous home, and you have no idea how you are going to fit you, and your children, into this new smaller space. There are three important things to remember when downsizing with children:
- purge toys
- share rooms whenever possible
- get creative!
Purging the Extras
Purging the extras is probably going to be one of the more difficult, and often painful, experiences when downsizing, especially when children are involved. Children become very attached to their belongs, sometimes seeing their toys as a literal extension of themselves. The most important thing to keep in mind is patience. This will be hard, but you both will get through it! Involve your children in the purging process. Talk about taking the toys to charity- sharing these toys with other children. If you are having a garage sale, involve your children in setting up the toy section. You may even put them in charge of selling the toys to customers.
Don't limit your purging to toys only. Children's clothes often take up a lot of space. You may be saving clothing for future children, but remember unless those children are here now, or expected later, those extra clothes are taking up space that will be needed in your new home. If you have children near the same age, or just cannot part with certain items, consider using vacuum bags to condense the clothes into one container.
Sharing a Room
Many of us may have grown up in our own rooms, and remember friends talking about how horrible sharing a room was. However, room sharing is a good thing. It teaches our children valuable skills about sharing and respecting personal space. Additionally, room sharing allows the family to maximize space in a new smaller home.
A popular bedding solution for room sharing is bunkbeds. There are many styles on the market, ranging from twin-over-full styles to bunkbeds with built-in desks, dressers and bookcases. Whatever style you go for, make sure that it will fit in the room and fit your family's needs. A new bunkbed alternative that is transitioning from the college dorm to the family home is the loft bed. These usually appear as “top bunk only” styles of bed with the space underneath the bed open for desks, play areas, or dressing.
A take on this style is the L-shaped loft, which is two top bunks situated in an L, just as the name suggests. Some of these even come with a third bottom bunk, ideal for more than two children in a room. This L-shaped loft can be used to fully utilize the floor space of a bedroom. There are many bedding options available to make full use of sharing a bedroom.
Another idea to keep in mind is utilizing the bedroom closet in a creative way. You might install a closet organizer that has both top and bottom rods, as well as shelves and baskets. These rods will allow more clothes to be hung in the closet, and the shelves and baskets can be used in lieu of a dresser (freeing up floor space in the bedroom). You might even consider turning part of the closet into a study area by installing a large piece of plywood as a desk. Use the new open space in the bedroom for items such as shelving units to help organize any toys or belongings that your children have. You might even give each child his or her own shelving unit, thereby creating personal space.
Get Creative!
Congratulations! You have just moved yourself and your children into your new home. You have managed to create a bedroom situation that meets the needs of the children in that space. But, you still have lots of toys or books to take into account. Not to worry, because there are ways around that, as well.
Modular shelving units that use squares are popular, and very useful, for storing and organizing toys. Use plastic or cloth boxes to sort like items. Utilize upper closet shelves or under-bed areas to store flat items such as board games. You can even use rain gutters to create book/display shelves.
If you are finding that you still have more toys than you have space for, and you do have storage space, consider toy rotation. Choose toys that will stay out for a month at a time, and then rotate the toys that are in storage. You may even be sneaky and put back toys you don't think your child is interested in anymore. See if your children inquire after them. If not, you may be able to sell or donate these items. Do what you feel is right for you and your family.
Lastly, consider finding a space in your home and designate that the play area. This will allow everything to have one place to go at the end of the day, helping cut back on clutter throughout the house. Having a designated spot for everything, including activities, helps use the space in your smaller home wisely.
Downsizing with children is not impossible, it just requires you think beyond what is considered the “norm”. How an area is used is not set in stone, so think creatively. And remember that ideas can be changed if you find they are not working for you, your family, and your situation. Enjoy your new home!
Lea Industries Deer Run Tri-Bunk Bed
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