A tribute to the home

Having wanderlust does not mean I do not like being at home. I love my home. In fact, I took up basic interior design a while back because I love decorating. I want to share with you this article I wrote a couple of years ago with some tips on how to deal with toys taking over the house. Happy decorating!

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Before kids, you probably had vases, lamps and candles, plants, an assortment of coffee table books, some nice throw pillows on a stain-free fabric couch. Once your bundle of joy arrives, baby stuff start taking over your household. It starts out all nice and cute in the nursery. Then, you bring the bouncer into the living room, maybe even the play yard. A toy or two or twelve find themselves into your bedroom to entertain the baby while you try to brush your hair or dress up. With the transition from milk to solids comes the high chair in the dining room and more toys to entertain the baby with while you try to get that last bite into him and not the floor. And with crawling comes all the safety gadgets. Gates are put up by the stairs and near the kitchen, corner guards get affixed on your entertainment unit, and doorknob guards come on. You do not want to be saying “No!” fifty times a day and scrambling to get that vase out of baby’s reach. And surely you do not want to restrict your child’s exploring nature, so you put most, if not all, your decor away. Picture a bouncer stationed on the corner of your living room, blocks and tea sets found under the armchair, remote controls hidden in the sides of the couch—do these sound familiar to you? You may have resigned yourself to accepting that you will not see a toy-free house for many, many years. Not that we take this against our children, nor do we pine away for our lives before kids. It just is. The presence of toys, chaos and clutter comes with the territory. Others may just actually love this happy chaos that children bring into the home. To a certain extent, we must accept that these toys will be around for quite a while. And more often than not, we just get used to the new landscape of our home.  Some items may be outgrown after a few months and are put away, but they will be replaced by something else. Guaranteed. In place of an activity gym or entertainment center, you may find a playhouse or a tent.  In place of a bouncer, you may find a tricycle or some other ride-on toy. 

But there are days when you just find yourself wanting a change from the routine. You find yourself wanting a makeover either for yourself or your home. Some days, you just need an adult space as you try to remember that you are not just a mother, a caretaker, or your children’s playmate. There is hope. You can still reclaim a space for yourself (or for you and your partner). Somehow. This new life with the kids doesn’t mean the house has to revolve around them alone. It is still possible to have a personal space, even for just a few hours. And not necessarily only when you are expecting guests.

I have some tips coming up in the next few posts. Until then...