Getting young children to embrace daily bathroom routines can be tough on its own, and it can get even harder if the space is not kid-friendly enough. As a parent, you want to modify the room to create a welcoming space that will help the child feel comfortable and use it with ease. Check out the following ideas that will help you remodel the bathroom into a functional, kid-friendly space that you will still find beautiful as an adult.
Prioritise Safety
When you approach a new remodelling project as the loving parent that you are, first you need to make sure that all the choices are made with the child’s safety as a top priority. With that in mind, do your best to remove any sharp corners in the room, and consider placing textured tiles that are less likely to cause slipping. Also, check the quality of your current fixtures and replace any outdated items that may be rusty or leaking. Getting new fixtures is not a complicated task. For instance, it takes just a little effort to find the right shower head and install it, and the result will improve the bathroom’s safety and look.
Get Faucets with Colour Cues
As an adult, you surely know by heart which side to choose for hot water and which side for cold, but for a young child that might not be as simple. If your faucets are labelled with the words ‘hot’ and ‘cold’, you should consider replacing them with colour-coded ones which are easily understood even by small children who are still unable to read. They can simply memorise what the colours red and blue each stand for. Making bathroom elements easier to use encourages the children to wash their hands independently and reduces the chance of accidents involving hot water.
Place the Hooks Low
Towel hooks are usually placed relatively high in standard bathrooms, and a toddler or a young child can’t reach a towel on their own. Therefore, finding an extra spot placed a little bit lower and adding a hook or two right there so a child can easily reach it is another way to make the bathroom more kid-friendly. Hooks are pretty useful items that take up very little space, so you may consider adding more of them and using them to hang different things like robes and bath toys.
Add More Colour
When you’re dealing with a bathroom shared by adults and children, you want to hit the sweet spot of adding enough colour to keep it interesting for the child, without sacrificing the design appreciated by adults. Using paint gives you a chance to strategically add colour that will make the child find the bathroom fun and welcoming, but if a guest enters the room, they will notice a tasteful style with a few vibrant details. For instance, if the space is filled with neutral tones, pick an untiled wall and add a splash of colour there, or try to add vibrant shades to different elements like cabinets. The good thing with paint is that you can easily make changes as the child outgrows the idea that is currently entertaining.
Use Vanity Drawers for Storage
Medicine cabinets are commonly used for bathroom storage, but they don’t exactly work well with children. First of all, they are normally too high to reach, and secondly, their surface is usually mirrored which means you’ll have to deal with constant fingerprints. Instead, try to manage storage through vanity drawers that are easily accessed by young ones of all ages. Ideally, you should get freestanding bins, caddies, and trays, without attempting to deal with complex built-in inserts and dividers. Also, it is best to stick with plastic, since it’s easier to clean than other materials.
Turning your bathroom into a kid-friendly space can seem like a complicated procedure, but in reality, all you need is a few practical ideas that will gradually transform the space into a pleasant oasis for the little ones. Whichever combination of ideas you decide to implement, we are sure that you will manage to amaze your kids with the final result.
