Stay Safe and Sane While Remodeling with Kids at Home

Home remodeling is a challenging time for anyone, and when you have kids at home, it makes everything about the process more difficult. Kids are less patient with respect to not being able to access snacks or go in and out when they want to, and less able to delay bathroom usage, but even just having strangers in and out of the house and unusual noises can throw them off, so it’s important to prepare accordingly.

A bathroom remodel or other home remodeling project creates a construction zone in your home, so it’s also important to plan how to stay safe. For adults and teens, it’s easy enough to observe hazards and improvise, but with younger ones, you need to know what will be going on and plan to avoid any dangerous situations.

Factor the Children into Discussions with Your Remodeling Contractor

When you discuss your remodeling plans, be sure to mention that you have kids and find out if there are any concerns. If you are just doing a bathroom remodel in the master bathroom, and the family normally uses another bathroom, then the impact will be minimal, but if it’s a kitchen remodel, or the family bathroom, then you may need to make arrangements to stay somewhere else, at least for part of the job. Your remodeling contractor can tell you how much each particular job will impact your ability to access that room.

Plan to Accommodate Children’s Needs Without Entering the Construction Area

It’s ideal, especially with kids, to plan to stay somewhere else for the entire duration of the remodeling project, but we understand, that’s not always possible. If you are replacing kitchen cabinets, but keeping appliances, it may be tempting to plan to just pop in to get food for meals and snacks. This really isn’t going to work, though, because there will be workers and tools in the way, and it isn’t feasible to stop work and rearrange.

You may be able to plan a day’s meals and pack everything into a cooler before anyone arrives for the day. If you must be home with little ones when the kitchen is out of commission, getting a dorm fridge and keeping it in another room is another helpful solution.

Prepare for Noise

Remodeling is a noisy process at times, and can be disturbing for little ones. Consider getting out of the house as much as possible during the work day, especially at nap time, to ensure that everyone gets the sleep they need.

Protect Air Quality

Dust and fumes can be a problem during a remodeling project. When you talk to your remodeling contractor, be sure to mention any sensitivities you or your children have so they can do their best to accommodate you as safely as possible.

These are just a few tips to help you have a successful remodeling project when you have kids at home. If you have more concerns, give us a call at 623-544-1211. We have been remodeling homes for families in the Peoria area for over 20 years, and we will be happy to answer any questions.