Helping my kids out

DONNELLE BELANGER-TAYLOR

Last updated 12:57 01/06/2012

My two-and-a-half-year-old twins can open the back door. The first time they did it, they brought me the mail... while I was in the shower. It was a scary moment, knowing that they'd wandered out to our unfenced front yard while I was unaware. They loved using their little yellow chair to reach the doorknob, and it was obvious that some quick fencing work was required.

With our backyard secured, they've enjoyed the freedom of not having to wait for help to go outside, and it's helpful to be able to ask them to open the door when I'm carrying laundry. I'm completely happy for them to go in and out, so long as they are dressed appropriately.

There are some problems, though. The first is that they can't shut the door behind them, and with the colder weather this is becoming unpleasant. Another problem is that if they're outside and see that I'm inside while the door is shut (for example, if I'm doing dishes while I watch them through the window), they get upset and come crying to the back door. 

I'm also fed up with tripping over the yellow chair every time I go past the back door. If I remove the chair, Finn's inclined to try to scale the door's window frames like a ladder! He's quite the little muntin climber. He'll climb every muntin. Ain't no muntin high enough. (Okay, okay, enough muntin puns. I only just found out what they are called, and I love the word. Muntin muntin muntin.)

I found the solution today, though. All I needed was two pieces of string.

You see, we have the lever-type door handles. A piece of string tied to the handle made it easy for them to open the door to go out, without using a chair.  They can now shut the door behind them as they go out, and open it again to come in.  

I had to shorten the outside string so that they could reach to push the door open while pulling the string, but after that change, they immediately got the knack. Now they are happy for the door to be closed while they are outside. No more cold breeze; no more tears (until "Finny snatched my ball!", anyway).

I know it sounds a bit cheesy, but I can tell they feel... empowered? by being able to do it by themselves.

There are other things I've done to make life in our house easier for them until they grow. Like many families, we have a step at the bathroom counter so they can wash their hands on their own. In their old room (I've just rearranged) they had a small bookshelf. It was laid on its side so they could reach the light switch. In their new room, the yellow chair is their step, and I don't have to trip over it any more.  

It's their house, too, after all. If small adaptations make it more user-friendly for them, I'm all for it.

What changes have you made in your home in order to make life easier for your kids?

» Follow PG on Facebook

Newest First

Oldest First

Noodle   #1   04:01 pm Jun 01 2012

I love that you treat your kids as people who have opinions and ideas. I hated when I was little and people just thought I didn't understand (not my parents, but other people) or had no concept of the world around me. It's so hard to convey that when you're that small, though.

agus   #2   01:35 am Jun 02 2012

well this is funny..we have lowered the bottom shelf of the tv cabinet a couple of cm so the tellie can be at her reach becasue even thou these days we have the bless of remote control my little one has always fancied the power that she feels when she turns it on with a button on the actual tellie! odd..haha.. anyway that made her life easier in a way. also i have purchased a brush that even 1 year olds can operate to collects crumbs and all other things from carpet after they are finished and so i dont have to take out the vacuum every 2 secs. i bought it at www.quickclean.co.nz and so far that has been a help to us both!! great blog btw

Agreed   #3   10:51 am Jun 02 2012

I absolutely agree that they feel empowered, and Noodle's hit the nail on the head too. It was horrible being treated sub-human as a small child.

In our house we have a step up to the toilet, one of those ladder-type steps up to the bathroom sink and the wee man has his own space in the pantry. Our baby girl is really young, but when she's able to, she'll use the steps and have her own space in the pantry too.

Susan   #4   06:54 am Jun 05 2012

One early morning I was awoken by knocks at the front door, and opened it to find my 3yr old (also twins) boys there, stark naked, with flowers they'd entered neighbours' gardens and picked for me. Sweet, but absolutely horrifying of course. Chair up to the back door which clicked open from the inside had enabled this.

The bouquets consisted of a few flower-heads and a complete plant, dangling roots and dropping soil. Still can't smile about it : /

Ad Feedback