Helping Your House Survive the Pre-School Years*

So, you’ve just got your house looking perfect and you welcome your first bundle of joy. The first few years your only concerns are baby proofing the place.. after that you need to start thinking about how to help your furniture survive the pre-school years. That’s where I’m at now. I don’t have the money to replace the table when she gets paint all over it that won’t scrub off. Or repaint whenever she feels the need to scribble on my walls. Lets not forget the occasional jumping on the sofa or bed whenever my back is turned. She’s not a bad kid, she’s just a kid that occasionally forgets the house rules when she gets excited. Here are a few things i’ve discovered really help in preserving the house over the past couple of years.

Invest in a Good Doormat
There is no avoiding it. Kids are going to trail mud into the house. They’re dirt magnets and there really is nothing your can do about this. You can spend your life mopping floors or scrubbing carpets but I can guarantee you’ll still find mud trailed up your staircases. I know a lot of houses these days are white and cream throughout and this cannot be good for the nerves if you’ve paid a lot, so why no just buy a good doormat and teach your kids to wipe their feet every time they come through? This is good etiquette even for going into other peoples houses. Lets face it, some kids shoes are hard to get on and off, at least this way you can minimise the mess.

Replace the Table Top with Plastic
There are very few kids out there that don’t enjoy arts and crafts, at some point you will have to do them be it for a school project or just to keep them busy in the school holidays. Temporarily you can buy a plastic table cover, but if you want a more permanent solution for a few years, when not cover the table in plastic? I don’t mean like cling film, but get a proper plastic table top to protect your table. It could be a great investment for the more messy years and will look much better than an unsightly table cloth.

Keep a Stock of Eraser Sponges
I remember last year the first time Little Miss ever drew on my white sitting room walls.. I went insane. How had she reached the age of 3 and never thought to do it before, I’ll never know! But she used CRAYON. Crayon and walls do not go together. I had a complete meltdown as it was bright red and I couldn’t get away with not painting it. Then my dad turned up with this Flash magic eraser and I’ve never looked back. It gets rid of scuffs from her outdoors going in and out of the back door and just general marks caused by the sheer amount of stuff stored in my tiny house. I think I have a pack of three in my cupboard at all time. Definitely worth it to save your walls and furniture.