Have you ever noticed that when you’re really busy, the house can get really messy? And no room gets more messy with a family around than the kitchen. This room is designed to be the heart of the home. It’s where you eat, where you chat, where you cook, where you do your homework and your tax return. But it’s so hard to keep it clean when it is in constant use!
Having a table in the kitchen is a great idea until someone starts to use it. Then it becomes this big obstacle in your way when you’re trying to navigate around the kitchen. But if you’re the only parent home, it’s always best to have the kids in the same room as you. And if you’re cooking their dinner, that means they’re in the kitchen with you. So how can you make the kitchen a family oriented room?
Sometimes all it takes is a few minor changes and a couple of tweaks here and there. But if you are thinking of remodeling your kitchen soon, it may be worth taking the time to redesign the seating and table area. Having a table is so handy in the kitchen. It means the little ones have a surface they can reach if they want to make cookies with Daddy or mix the sauce for Mummy. However, a leaf table means you can fold it down to get it out-of-the-way when you’re busy in there. You can even buy fold away chairs that slip inside it from places like IKEA.
I hate it when all the kitchen countertops are covered in clutter. It’s mostly dirty dishes, plates, and cups that I find in my way. When you want to get on with preparing a meal for the family, you need all that workspace clear. Something as simple as popping everything straight into a dishwasher as you’re finished with it can keep a kitchen countertop clear. It’s like this handy cupboard for dirty plates. And it helps everything look tidied instantly.
Appliances and gadgets in the kitchen are definitely a lot of fun to use. They make preparing food so much quicker and easier. The kids love the little electric hand whisk for making Angel Delight. But there are plenty lurking around the kitchen and the garage that we just never got on with. It’s always worth reading kitchen reviews to find out if the gadget is actually going to work for you in the real world. If it’s not easy to clean it doesn’t last long in my kitchen!
Cleaning is a huge part of life in the kitchen. Hygiene is so important. Why is it the floors are always so mucky? Crumbs, flakes, spatter, and even debris from the street seems to find its way in here. Having a cordless cleaner definitely helps. Not only are they really quick and easy to set up and use, but they’re light enough for the kids to help out with a spot of vacuuming too.
Getting the kids involved in making meals and using the kitchen is really important. Sure, they need a lot of supervision, and plenty of things get messy or broken. But everyone needs to learn. And everyone in the family should help out too. Easy to empty bins make life simpler when the kids are on rubbish duty. They can get the bag out without tipping all the mess all over the floor. Loading up a dishwasher preserves a lot more dishes than them doing the washing up at the sink too!
Cooking and baking are pretty important life skills for little ones too. Some families like to have the children involved in preparing every meal. Maybe they can stir the pot, or peel the potatoes. This isn’t always a practical ambition to have, but even the tiniest tots can get used to the idea of home-cooked meals. If all that effort in the kitchen is normal for them, hopefully, they’ll grow up to be keen to cook and eat healthily.
It’s nice to eat, play, work and chat in the kitchen. For a start, it contains any mess to just one room! But it makes this space a real family area where we’re happy to spend time together. The invention of antibacterial wipes makes it easier to just wipe clean a countertop or the table as you go. And soft close cupboards and drawers make using the kitchen a lot quieter than it used to be! It doesn’t need to be a dream kitchen to be the heart of your family home.
