How Your Kids Can Help with Home Improvement Projects
As a parent and a homeowner, there are few things more enjoyable than improving your home to better suit your family. From installing pet doors to renovating the kitchen, there's no end to the ways you can make your home even more welcoming and enjoyable with little improvements. This kind of project isn't just fun for adults, it's also an incredible experience for your children.
Kids love hands-on projects and to see how teamwork can completely transform a space. While there are many tasks in home improvement that are too dangerous for children, there are also many tasks that children can do enjoyably and safely as part of the family renovation team. Here at Worthington Millwork, we love helping families turn the family home into something truly special. So today, we're sharing some of the best ways that children can safely help with your home projects.
Choosing the Architectural Finishes
Slection is one of the best ways to get even young children involved in your home project. When choosing new fixtures, balustrade shapes, or finishes for your home, look through the catalog or e-store with your children beside you. Talk about what looks nice in the pictures and how that might look in your actual home. Talk about the purpose of each finish, why there are differences, and your favorites for each one.
When you are later installing the items you chose together with your children, they will feel more deeply connected to the project and to the home itself.
Painting the Trim and Balusters
Have a color scheme in mind? While professional trim, molding, and balusters often come in a beautiful white finish, you can also paint them yourself to fit your interior design. Painting is something all children can help with, and older children have the even hand necessary for a final coat. Get your kids involved by laying down a drop cloth, putting on some old shirts, and painting all the trim pieces that need to be painted before they are installed.
Measuring and Marking Lengths
For older children who are learning how to use rulers and apply geometry to real life, you can get them involved in preparing your pieces for installation. Lengths of trim, for example, can be measured and marked with a pencil to show the right lengths for each piece of the home. Your children might be able to mark where on the wall or floorboards nails need to be installed, or help you locate and mark studs in each wall.
Children with measuring tools and a pencil can be incredibly helpful during family home improvement projects. Just be sure to double-check everything before driving in the nails.
Reading the Instructions Aloud
Kids can also help parents with guidance when you need it most: when your hands are full. If your current installation has a set of instructions to follow, your children can help by reading the instructions alloud and helping you double-check your work at each step. This is not just helpful, it's also an exercise that will help with future projects and labs in school.
Handing Tools and Holding Ladders
When your hands are full, your kids can be an extra pair of hands. They can hand you the next nail or screw to install. They can find the right drill bit or retrieve a dropped bracket. Older children can also be trusted to hold your ladder steady while installing trim around the ceiling. Children who understand the importance of helping someone who's up a ladder with their hands full can seriously speed up your work by saving you time going up and down that ladder.
---
Improving your family home can be a project enjoyed by the whole family. By getting your children involved, you are helping them truly feel like a part of the family home. Contact us today for more home improvement project tips and insights. We would be honored to be your source for architectural finishes and renovation advice.
Kids love hands-on projects and to see how teamwork can completely transform a space. While there are many tasks in home improvement that are too dangerous for children, there are also many tasks that children can do enjoyably and safely as part of the family renovation team. Here at Worthington Millwork, we love helping families turn the family home into something truly special. So today, we're sharing some of the best ways that children can safely help with your home projects.
Choosing the Architectural Finishes
Slection is one of the best ways to get even young children involved in your home project. When choosing new fixtures, balustrade shapes, or finishes for your home, look through the catalog or e-store with your children beside you. Talk about what looks nice in the pictures and how that might look in your actual home. Talk about the purpose of each finish, why there are differences, and your favorites for each one.
When you are later installing the items you chose together with your children, they will feel more deeply connected to the project and to the home itself.
Painting the Trim and Balusters
Have a color scheme in mind? While professional trim, molding, and balusters often come in a beautiful white finish, you can also paint them yourself to fit your interior design. Painting is something all children can help with, and older children have the even hand necessary for a final coat. Get your kids involved by laying down a drop cloth, putting on some old shirts, and painting all the trim pieces that need to be painted before they are installed.
Measuring and Marking Lengths
For older children who are learning how to use rulers and apply geometry to real life, you can get them involved in preparing your pieces for installation. Lengths of trim, for example, can be measured and marked with a pencil to show the right lengths for each piece of the home. Your children might be able to mark where on the wall or floorboards nails need to be installed, or help you locate and mark studs in each wall.
Children with measuring tools and a pencil can be incredibly helpful during family home improvement projects. Just be sure to double-check everything before driving in the nails.
Reading the Instructions Aloud
Kids can also help parents with guidance when you need it most: when your hands are full. If your current installation has a set of instructions to follow, your children can help by reading the instructions alloud and helping you double-check your work at each step. This is not just helpful, it's also an exercise that will help with future projects and labs in school.
Handing Tools and Holding Ladders
When your hands are full, your kids can be an extra pair of hands. They can hand you the next nail or screw to install. They can find the right drill bit or retrieve a dropped bracket. Older children can also be trusted to hold your ladder steady while installing trim around the ceiling. Children who understand the importance of helping someone who's up a ladder with their hands full can seriously speed up your work by saving you time going up and down that ladder.
---
Improving your family home can be a project enjoyed by the whole family. By getting your children involved, you are helping them truly feel like a part of the family home. Contact us today for more home improvement project tips and insights. We would be honored to be your source for architectural finishes and renovation advice.