If you’re thinking of starting some simple home renovation tasks over the next few months then you might be wondering if it’s worth roping in your little ones to help out with some of the less taxing duties.
Getting kids involved in DIY at a young age can foster a real sense of pride and responsibility. From taking them to a building merchants store to look at and buy supplies, to showing them how to prep and prime walls for painting, here’s how to safely get your kids involved in DIY jobs.
Keeping tasks age-appropriate is key
Think about the ages of your children and what they can cope with physically! Age-appropriate tasks will not only help encourage confidence but also make your child feel like they’re still contributing.
Make sure your children have all the right safety gear – whether it’s goggles or gloves and explain to them how important wearing these protective items is. Let them see you wearing the same gear and they’ll follow suit.
Whilst your child is working, stay as close to them as possible, supervise them at all times, and praise them when they do a task well. Only leave them once you are sure they’re capable (this is more appropriate for older kids and teenagers), smaller children should never be left alone with any tools or paints.
Think about the kinds of projects that are suitable for kids
There are lots of small jobs that kids can get involved with when it comes to DIY, that make them feel involved and give them responsibility – but that are safe for them.
For instance, helping with painting is a great start. They can watch you whilst you start and can copy you. If you’re unsure about this, start them off in a spare room – so any mistakes can be rectified and covered up without too much damage!
Keep dialogue open whilst you work
When you’re getting kids involved with a task, explain every step and have them watch you do something – then, keep talking and give step-by-step instructions if they’re copying you, to make sure they stay on the right path.
It’s sometimes better to break down tasks into small, manageable steps for children – and explain things in easy terms so that they understand exactly what they need to do, when and why.
Lastly…they still need to help clean up!
Your little angels might want to do the DIY, but not feel so keen about the cleaning up. It’s important you explain how essential this is to the whole process and get them involved in the tidying and cleaning process after a task has been completed.
Let them know the reasons why spaces must be kept clean and dust-free, rooms vacuumed and tidied, and that once a DIY task is done the cleanliness and maintenance must be kept up. If they can understand that, and help out it’ll give them a feeling of pride – knowing they can properly look after a room or a space instills a sense of responsibility.
