Open or Close GYM in Kids friendly Basement ?
Vincent Dac
3 years ago
last modified: 3 years ago
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Vincent Dac
3 years agoRelated Discussions
Kids Friendly Bathroom Layout
Comments (8)Bathtub/shower combination with the shower on a handheld unit with a slide bar. The handheld unit is great for washing little ones in the tub and as they get older they can begin to shower with the head lower on the bar. Shower/tub and lavatory faucets are easier to operate with lever handles than knobs for young hands (and older ones, too!) I liked having the shower doors with DS - once in a while we would just close the doors and let him splash to his heart's content with no worries about water on the floor! Extra floor space is really nice to have. Imagine kneeling on the floor drying off squirmy toddlers. Storage is always good. Hooks are easier for younger kids to hang towels on than bars. Teenagers don't hang up towels, no matter what is provided. Having said all this, they are little for far too short a period of time. Don't feel the need to make drastic changes to accommodate young kids that you won't find useful later....See MoreKid-friendly appliances
Comments (18)I designed the entire kitchen to be kid friendly. My kids are 1, 4, and 7. The remodel isn't done yet, but these are the things that are going in: 1. Side-by-side refrigerator with water and ice dispenser outside. The kids can reach things in the refrigerator, and get water/ice themselves. Even at 2 yrs, my kids have been able to open the refrigerator to get pre-prepared sippy cups of milk. My 7-year-old helps clean up and put left-overs in the refrigerator as well as pour drinks or prepare snacks for the 1 and 4 year old. Actually, my 4-year-old enjoys pouring his own milk when the container is 1/4 full or less. Otherwise he asks his brother or an adult to help. 2. Microwave built-in at counter height. This is enough to keep the little one out of the microwave, but still at a safe height for my 7-year-old to heat up meals/snacks for himself and his brother when needed. 3. Dish cabinets and drawers at low-cabinet height for the kids to get their own cups and dishes. 4. Induction stove. My 7-year-old (he's almost 8) likes to cook scrambled eggs. I'm not closely supervising him, but I'm usually in the room. 5. Toe-kick stepstool. I haven't actually added this, but I read about it in a magazine last week and plan to talk to our cabinet maker this week to ask about the possibility. If anyone has this, feedback would be helpful!! The kids regularly unload the dishwasher for me. My 4-year-old does the silverware, my 7-year-old does everything else. Also, my 7-year-old wipes the table, sets the table, clears leftovers and puts them into the refrigerator. The kids need to be independent when I have my hands full with a screaming colicky baby! Our 1-year-old seems to have moved from colick directly to the terrible two's! She is a real challenge. Did I mention that I work full-time? And my husband isn't around for weeks at a time (even when he is around he isn't exactly helpful). I hope our new kitchen will be as kid-friendly and safe as possible. They managed the old kitchen by dragging a step stool and being as agile as monkeys....See MoreBedroom doors Open or Closed while Entertaining
Comments (34)It may be a cultural thing (UK born but lived here for 25+ years) but closed. I'm not nuts about house tours either unless it is family or very close friends. To me bedrooms are private space, however nicely decorated. :-) Sue36, I'd have been livid in your place and that relative would never have been invited back! I do leave the guest room and the upstairs bathroom door open if we are having enough guests to need the coat space and upstairs bathroom. That is to make them easy to find and to discourage people from barging into the other bedrooms and linen closet. For smaller numbers, people use the powder room (door always kept closed*) and coat closet downstairs. * FYI, most Europeans have locks on bathroom doors, use them, and prefer to keep them closed. I'm not sure whether this is a germ control or a privacy thing. I still find it disconcerting if I'm not to be able to lock myself in the loo during those private moments, and to rely solely on the US closed door convention, LOL....See MoreYour Working Kitchen & Kid/Grandkid-Friendly Tips
Comments (22)One tip that we had to find out the hard way: Most child-proof latches won't work on frameless cabinets - even ones that say they do. There often isn't a long enough throw to get the drawer or door open enough to get your fingers in to operate the latch. The magnetic ones are the way to go. The opening key magnets don't stick to the front of our stainless fridge, but the sides of the fridge are magnetic. We use a learning tower for the grandkids too. They like that it brings them up to counter level so they can help. However to be stable it is fairly large so it only works well in a large kitchen. Also, base sticks out for more stability and I think all the adults have stubbed their toes on it so our relationship with it is a little bit love/hate. Most microwaves have a way to lock the controls. For example on ours you hold the stop button down for 3 seconds. We have had no trouble with it being below counter because it can be locked between use when the kids show an interest in it and that phase didn't last long for us. Our gas rangetop has controls on the front. We agonized about getting that vs a cooktop with controls on top but we really wanted the power of the Bluestar for wok cooking after test driving it vs our cooktop candidates. It hasn't been a problem especially because the igniters go snap-snap as soon as someone turns the knob from off which allows us to hear it and correct the behavior immediately. Our grandson discovered the ability to move a chair and get on it to reach the counter before he was two. Little kids have to be supervised in the kitchen. I wouldn't count on things being above the counter for keeping them safe. As they get older, having a kitchen that can accommodate multiple workers is really nice. For example, our prep sink is on a corner of our island so two people can use it; one from the main prep area at the front and one from side. It also often gets used from the side to wash kids hands without getting in the way of someone doing prep. Then there is also the baking area to the right of the main sink and the counter to the left of the main sink....See MoreVincent Dac
3 years agolast modified: 3 years agoVincent Dac
3 years agoSue54321 ABC
3 years ago
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