Whether you’re a stay at home parent or not, it can be a struggle keeping up with the needs of the house or finding time to start any home improvements. You probably don’t need to be told this but being a parent is tough! You spend 90% of the time helping the children out, whether you’re dropping them at school, picking them up, preparing their food, cleaning up after them, washing their clothes… the list goes on. Being so busy all the time makes the more discreet home issues difficult to notice and deal with, so, it seems like a great idea to have the children help you out in identifying any problems!
Whilst you can’t deny that little ones can get very absorbed
in what they’re doing, they also spend most of their time relaxed (whilst we’re
busy chasing after them). Being so relaxed, it’s much easier for children to
take in their surroundings and pick up on things that have changed or are
different. You’ve probably noticed your own child ask you questions completely
out of the blue about things you’ve never noticed before in your own home,
which is exactly what we want to use.
So, without further ado, here are three household problems
that you can teach your children to look out for, helping you notice issues and
look after your home more easily.
Damp and Mould
As home damage and concerns go, damp and moulds are some of
the ugliest and most notable issues you can come across. The black mould that
thrives in damp areas of the home has actually been proven
to lead to a variety of respiratory issues like asthma which means
that, particularly if you have young children in the home, it becomes even more
important to deal with mould before it can settle in.
To stop mould from becoming a problem in your home, you need
to stop it at the source – the damp. Damp is also quite easy to notice because
of the way it stains the walls and ceilings. If you encourage your little one
to let you know whenever they see and stains on the walls, they should be able
to notice the damp before it starts welcoming mould growth. From there, you can
organise a survey and get it sorted!
This is really important if you have a slightly older child
with a room of their own because you
probably won’t be spending much time in there, so it’ll be their job to notice
any problems like damp and mould.
Woodworm
Woodworm is the name of multiple different beetle larvae
that live inside of damp wood and eat it. Woodworm is one of those home issues
that is really obvious when you look for it, which makes it perfect for
teaching your little ones how to look after the home. The most noticeable signs
of woodworm are the small tunnels and holes in the surface of the wood, which
are made when the adult beetles emerge. Whilst you might wonder if woodworm
is damaging to health, it’s definitely a threat to your home and can
cause all sorts of structural instability if left alone.
It’s not particularly nice to think that beetles could be
living inside your furniture, but that’s why we have to keep a look out for the
signs! Other than the small holes in the timber, crumbling wood or tunnels
inside the wood are other big indicators. Show your
little ones some pictures and they should be able to point out any woodworm
concerns for you, after which, treatment is usually quick and easy.
Damaged Window Seals
Finally, damaged window seals can make your home really
uncomfortable or chilly. Plus, heat
loss through windows is a major part of your heating costs, so it’s
important they’re as efficient as possible. The two main signs of broken window
seals are cracks in the rubber sealed edges and a breeze or draft coming out
from underneath the window. It’s easy to encourage children to be curious about
their surroundings, so asking them to check their windows if they start feeling
cold is a good way of bringing up any sealing concerns.
Hopefully, this post will have given you some ideas for how
to stay on top of your home improvements or problems! With any luck, this will
save you hassle in the future.
xXx
**This is a guest post which was written by a third party for my blog. I received payment for this post.**
We struggle with damaged window sills that have made some rooms very cold! My husband has tried to fill them in, but we do need to get new windows soon :)
ReplyDeleteWe have a flat roof and are starting to suffer with mould, so I know it needs looking at
ReplyDeleteOur first home had such bad condensation on the windows which led to the frames rotting
ReplyDeleteI avoid all this by always buying new-build houses and 'disposable' flat pack furniture ... well, that's how my life seems to have gone for the last 18 years (it was never the plan!)
ReplyDeleteI've noticed some mould around the bottom of our windows but only in winter. I clean it regularly and open windows every day to reduce it. We've no problem in summer with the hot temperatures here in Portugal. But they're great ideas for getting kids to help spot potential problems in the home.
ReplyDeleteDo you know I have never thought about getting my daughter to look for these things but kids are so good at noticing what you don’t - it’s a great idea!
ReplyDeleteScavenger hunt for mould. Why didn't I think of that ;) Good tips!
ReplyDeleteWe had awful mould problems at our old house, was such a relief to move so the kids didn't have to suffer it! It's a good idea to get the kids involved tho as they get in places I wouldn't think of!
ReplyDeleteGreat tips here! I never thought about getting my children in on this! They would enjoy it too!
ReplyDeleteThese are great tips, it’s such a good idea to get your children aware of this for when they eventually get their own place
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