21 Tips For Small Apartment Living With Kids
May 21, 2020 3:29 pm Leave your thoughtsApartment living with kids has become a much more relevant concern as parents, and children have shifted to mainly staying indoors. With school being held at home due to COVID-19, as well as parents working from home, there are unprecedented challenges. Apartments may offer some restrictions in terms of having room to romp and roam. However, there are a lot of small tips, and tricks that can make apartments living with kids more convenient. With these simple changes, parents, and their kids can find relief in living in a smaller space. Experiment with the suggestions below, and discover a better day-to-day routine today!
1. Use a couch cover.
With kids spending more time at home, it’s going to be important to take precautions that you wouldn’t normally otherwise do. Not to mention, the extra time at home will lead to a prolonged amount of time on the couch. So to avoid ruining your family’s couch, invest in a couch cover! This is a simple way to help everyone feel comfortable but to avoid any big spills. Couch covers can also be taken off, and on when you need to wash it. The easy convenience of this makes it an absolute must for everyone!
2. Give everything a home.
It’s really difficult to maintain an organized system when you aren’t quite sure where things belong. The first step is giving everything a home. Once your items have a designated space, then it is easy to return them. The process of doing this will greatly benefit you in the long run! Create the necessary designations to give everything a home, and watch as suddenly everything has a place it can fit.
3. Embrace toy organization.
Toys are frequently known to be the hardest items to organize because they typically end up all over the place. When there are random toy sets scattered throughout different locations, it is easy for your life to feel more chaotic. However, developing a simple toy organization system will help you to feel more at home. Consider using simple toy supplies such as bookcases, organizational bins, or plastic containers. It is also smart to include small bins that children can lift themselves. Lastly, you can invite your children to get involved! Ask them to help you set-up a system so they feel that they contributed. This way they will be more likely to stick with the designated process.
4. Group collectibles together.
Pair toys that are alike, with other toys that are alike. Not only, does this make your home organization system feel more effective, but it helps children to recognize different categories. This is a cognitive functioning skill that is going to help your child recognize It is simpler for you, and the kids to understand which toys are grouped together. It may be more work to set up in the beginning, but it will help you to feel much more organized in the long run!
5. Separate essentials.
A quick organization hack that can make all of the difference is separating the non-essential items, from the essential items. Kids often have one toy that they frequently play with, travel with, or rely on. Keeping this in a convenient destination will help you to avoid searching for it when the time comes. Toys or items that aren’t used on a regular basis can be stored away in harder to reach places.
This is also a way to narrow down the items that you’re keeping. If a toy becomes non-essential for months, you know that it will be time to get rid of it. Apartment living with kids is all about determining what your essentials are because unfortunately you just do not have space for it all.
6. Establish a catchall.
There are many items that will just not have a specific destination in your apartment. Assigning a specific location such as a bin, bag, or bucket as your “catchall” is a great way to help keep the chaos within one place. Limiting this to just one area will allow you to regularly go through it, and see what needs to be kept, and thrown away. Plus, if the kids know where it’s at, they can put stuff in there too. This step is just another example of setting up a specific system so that no one is confused!
7. Display art.
So it turns out your kids are artists in the making? Yet, you’re wondering where to place their masterpieces? Encouraging your kids to explore their creativity, and get crafty is an incredible thing! However, this can also bring a lot of added mess, and disorganization. Before you start your next art activity, select a spot on the fridge, wall, or in a bedroom, where you can put the art project. Deciding before-hand will clear up any confusion about where the art piece will go after it is finished.
8. Utilize open bins.
Often when things get put into a container, the lid is put on immediately. While this may be essential for items that need to be enclosed, an open bin system will allow your kids to help you more. When a bin is open, a child can clearly see what goes into that designated spot. It doesn’t require them to take the lid on, or off which makes set-up, and clean-up much easier. These types of bins work great on bookshelves, as well as titled shelves.
9. Keep a structured schedule.
The prolonged amount of time at home can often lead to a schedule disruption. While there is definitely a need for flexibility during this time, maintaining a structured schedule will help kids to enjoy some level of predictability. Setting a pre-determined schedule, and sticking with it, lets your kids know what your expectations are.
You can include cleaning up and organizing your daily routine. From here, it will not be a surprise that these elements are apart of your day. Your daily schedule should be customized to fit your needs and desires. Apartment living with kids begins and ends with your own family’s priorities.
10. Avoid large items.
Somehow toys just keep getting made to be bigger, and bigger? Rather than opting for a miniature tramp, or a huge stuffed animal, aim to purchase smaller toys for your kids. There are obviously exceptions to this, and sometimes a small toy just isn’t what you’re looking for. However, piling up even a couple of large items can lead to having no space. Once these items start to take over, then you’re left with very little space within your own apartment.
11. Enjoy the world around you.
With many restrictions throughout the world lately, it’s hard to dive into everything our local neighborhoods have to offer. With this being said, you may find that your options are limited in getting out and exploring the world around you. Nevertheless, you may be lucky to have places you can walk, and parks you can enjoy within your local area.
When you’re feeling cramped up in your small apartment, take that as a sign that it’s time to re-locate just for a few moments. Getting a simple breath of fresh air, can somehow help all of your worries to seem at ease. Not to mention, it will help your kids to relieve energy. Getting out, and enjoying the world around you is a win-win!
12. Use foam mats.
One ongoing issue that frequently arises for families living in an apartment with kids is the sound. Kids love to move around, and if you have neighbors below you, this may cause you some anxiety. There is definitely a balance in claiming your space, and being respectful of the other resident in your apartment community.
Placing a foam mat underneath your kids during playtime will help to practically drown out the sound of their little feet jumping back, and forth. This is a great investment because it keeps your floors clean, and helps ease the noise.
13. Get rid of toys often.
Toys can build up, and they can build up quickly. Whether it be through birthday occasions or simple trips to the store, items can rapidly compile into chaos. It’s easy to fall into a rut of going through your belongings periodically. Rather than letting things stack up over time, you can sort through them weekly. This process will be much better in the long run, because you will have a smaller amount of items to sort through each time.
It can also be a very helpful lesson for kids to decide for themselves which items they want to keep, and which ones they want to get rid of them. This assists in helping them feel independent, and that they can make their own decisions!
14. Find double functions.
Living in a space with less square-footage will require you to use a similar space for the same functions. Get creative in the ways that your furniture can double as something else. For example, a chair in your living room can also be a reading chair, or a napping chair, or a movie chair.
Another example may be purchasing a bookcase with storage bins and using half of the storage bins for toys, and the other half for clothing. While it is convenient for everything to have a designated space, maximizing the options that you do have is also part of the process!
15. Make an open area.
All kids need is a little space! Rather than supplying every corner of your apartment with furniture, and belongings, create open areas. Give kids the room to lay out their toys, and explore playing. Perhaps, designate a blanket that you can lay down, and let them know they get all of that space to play.
Not only will the kids enjoy having more space, but you won’t’ have to worry about them damaging the furniture. Yes, furniture is necessary, but where you can, go without! Leave spaces open so that you and your kids have room to dive into a great day of play.
16. Rearrange for change.
Sometimes all you need is just a little change! When you’re feeling overwhelmed with the amount of time that you’re spending inside, switch up your apartment. Get your kids involved in changing the layout. They can help you figure out where they want their belongings to go, and this will resonate with them. Switching up your furniture can make you feel like you re-decorated your entire apartment for free.
In an apartment, you may be limited in your opportunities to customize your place to be your own. By regularly switching up your belongings, you can create a seemingly new place every single time!
17. Practice minimalism.
Perhaps the easiest way to avoid a lot of stress in the long-run is to start simple in the first place. You’re probably familiar with the Marie Kondo method of only keeping the things that make you happy. Practicing minimalism will help you to leave behind items that you are not using. Minimalists simply only keep items that they know are essential to them.
They limit the number of their belongings, and they increase their quality. This type of lifestyle may not be for everyone, but it can help you to feel more organized within a matter of moments. Start by clearing out all of your non-essential items, and then find organized ways to store the items that you do love.
18. Avoid multiples.
Do you ever feel like you end up with many different versions of the same item? Whether it’s a toy, or a shirt, or sippy cups, it’s easy to unintentionally start collecting multiple. The truth is, you really don’t need 15 of the same thing. The more that you have, the more that you feel obligated to take care of. Yes, perhaps some household items call for multiple versions, but for the most part, items can survive in minimal numbers.
The organization of your apartment living with kids beings, and ends with the items that you allow into your home. Buying a lot of the same thing will only cause you to run out of storage room, and feel more stressed. Start simply, by simply buying the amounts you truly need.
19. Thrift & trade.
The reality is that kids go through toys, clothing, and belongings quicker than anyone else. Buying something new each, and every single time is going to get exhausting. Consider supporting local thrift shops, or trading with a friend. There are definitely ways that you can save money, help the environment, and minimize your belongings!
20. Expand closet storage.
It’s no secret that apartment closets are not very big, and their ability to store items in an organized way is almost non-existent. Creating, and expanding your own closet storage will help you in so many ways. Whether it be through using internal bins, or shelves, organizing your closet will help more to fit in there. When more fits into your closet, then it isn’t spread out around your apartment. This is a great way to free up open space while giving many items a home!
21. Encourage adventure.
Apartment living with kids may seem very daunting at times. It may be easy to feel that your kids have less room to call their own. These feelings may be discouraging at times, however, the spirit of adventure can exist regardless of the number of square feet that you live in. Your personal touches, and the way that you live your life make your apartment feel like home.
When it gets too much to be at home, you can encourage you, kids, to adventure. Encourage them to get outside their comfort zone, and go, and see the world! Apartment living with kids is difficult, and sometimes letting go of expectations is the absolute best thing you can do. Home is more than just a place, it’s a feeling too.
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Categorised in: Apartment Living
This post was written by Isabella Housel
Isabella Housel is a passionate and versatile professional writer with a deep love for words and a commitment to crafting compelling content that engages, informs, and inspires. With many years of experience in the industry, she has honed her skills across various genres, from creative storytelling to informative articles and technical documentation.