As soon as you had children, you always wanted to create a home environment that felt safe, secure and calming. As little ones grow up, their surroundings can have a huge impact on their development and overall well-being. This means that you may want to focus on making a few changes around your house sooner rather than later. Whether you’re trying to deter pests or improve the quality of the air in your home, there are a number of techniques that you can adopt. Creating a safe and soothing space for your children will not only help them to feel comfortable at home, but it will also allow them to adapt to new environments successfully. As a parent, you will always want what’s best for your little ones and the first step towards happiness is creating a safe space for your child. Use some of the following ideas to take action on your home environment and you will soon feel confident that your house is the perfect place to raise healthy and happy children for years to come.

Secure Your Windows and Doors

When you’re worried about security in your home the main thing that springs to mind is your children. No matter what, you want to make sure they’re kept safe whilst they’re sleeping, playing and relaxing at home. Replacing any broken doors or windows is your first step to creating the calming environment you have always wanted for your children. If there are any gaps in your current windows it’s likely they’ll be able to hear whistling from the wind, and they may even feel cold draughts at night time. This is why you may want to consider aluminum window installation to create a higher level of insulation and security for your property. Although it may seem like a small change to your home, having new windows brings a sense of freshness and safety that your family will appreciate for the years to come.

Reduce Toxins and Chemicals

Keeping your home clean and tidy is something you will always battle as a parent. You want to maintain spotless surfaces and rigorously clean the highchairs so that they’re always sparkling clean, however your cleaning products could be creating a toxic environment. Now is the ideal time to take a look at the labels of your washing detergent, sprays and kitchen cleaning products. Switching to eco-friendly, natural solutions can help to create a safer environment for your little ones. You can even have a go at making your own at home cleaning products using some of the items you already have in your cupboards. White wine vinegar can be used as a surface spray to kill any unwanted bacteria. You can also use bi-carbonate of soda to get rid of any staines on your white dishes, cups and plates.

Create a Routine

Structure and routine can allow your children to thrive at home. Even if you want to create a fairly relaxed and calm home environment, a gentle routine is extremely beneficial to your children. Try eating at the same time each morning for breakfast and having a routine for getting ready in the morning. During the weekends it can be trickier to stick to a set routine as you may have plans outside the house. You can maintain a level of calm by sticking to your bedtime routine so that the start and end of their day is always the same. When your children know what to expect in the mornings and the evenings it becomes much easier to create a calming routine that works for everyone in the household.

Ask for Help With Chores

Structure and routine in your household should go hand in hand with chores. From a young age your children should be able to help you with age-appropriate tasks around the house. Whether they’re making their own bed or feeding the family dog, this creates a sense of responsibility and respect. When your children feel trusted at home it can help to build their self confidence when they’re at school or playing with friends. Offering this level of independence will greatly improve their development over the years as they will always know what is expected of them in the house.

Think About Your Color Schemes

If you’re looking to create a relaxing home environment, then the color schemes you choose are very important. Bright, dark and brash colors can be overstimulating to little children so make sure you take this into consideration when you’re decorating their bedrooms. Opt for cool, soothing shades such as dusky pinks, light creams and baby blues. With a calming bedroom, your child will always feel safe when they’re playing or going to bed at night.

Build a Safe Environment

Overall, your home can be the safest and most calming environment possible for your children, but do they have a dedicated space to relax and unwind? Even small children need a safe space to escape to when they’re feeling tired or stressed. You probably run yourself a hot bubble bath or you curl up in your favourite chair with a book. Creating a similar type of space for your children can create a sense of safety for them. Whether you use comfortable cushions and cuddly toys to create a quiet corner or they have a dedicated playhouse to take time out to themselves, there are so many ways to create a safe environment for your little ones.

Choose Child Friendly Storage

Have you ever found your child emptying out the kitchen cupboards or tearing your bedroom drawers apart whilst you weren’t watching? Not only do you want to keep your child safe, but you also want to ensure a level of independence for your children. Preventing them from getting inside every drawer and cupboard is almost impossible, which is why you should aim to adopt two simple strategies. The first one is securing all dangerous cleaning items, medicines and small parts into high cupboards with a lock. Even if your children manage to sneak into the kitchen when you’re not looking, you can have peace of mind that your hazardous substances are locked away and out of reach from little hands. Next of all, you may want to consider creating a child safe cupboard. Allowing your children to easily access their favorite toys, cups, plates or shoes can give them a level of independence whilst keeping them safe at home. When they have a dedicated cupboard that they can call their own, they will be much less likely to cause mayhem in the other areas of your home!

Every home environment is completely different, so it’s up to you to make the most of the space you have. Whether you’re working with minimal outdoor space and a large living area, or you have small bedrooms and an expansive communal space, you need to play to the strengths of your home. Most importantly, you need to consider the needs of your child or children first and foremost. Whether you want to create a special reading corner to encourage your little one to pick up a book more often or you need to pay special attention to the cleaning products you use, it’s time to create your own version of a safe space. Ultimately, as long as your child feels happy and content when they come home you have done your job as a parent perfectly. Start making small and simple changes today and your child will start to reap the benefits quicker than you know!

Flu is a serious condition and it looks like the disease is probably going to be doing the rounds this winter, thanks to a “snap back” after the disruption of the last 18 months.

There is no way to cure the flu once you get it. Instead, you will need to rely on your body’s immune system to fight it off.

However, there are ways that you can accelerate your recovery. Here are some of the techniques you can use to combat the flu.

Keep Humidity Levels High

Running your humidifier might sound like a strange way to fight the flu, but it’s an excellent option after you get the disease. Warm moist air is excellent at easing congestion and soothing coughs. Try breathing in moist air for a couple of hours per day during the worst of the infection to see if it helps. Don’t leave the humidifier on all day, as excess damp can lead to bacteria and mold buildup in your home.

Use A Saline Nose Drop

Saline is just a salt solution. It’s one of the oldest medications and something that physicians have been using for thousands of years to prevent infection.

Salt is naturally antiseptic. That’s why food manufacturers use so much of it to extend the life of their products.

You can harness the same antiviral powers by using a saline nose drop. These solutions help to unblock your nose and leave you feeling fresher.

Use An Antiviral

If your flu becomes more serious and you require urgent care, they may provide you with an antiviral. These are essentially drugs that enhance the immune response to the virus and shorten the time that it spends in your body. People with chronic heart or liver conditions benefit from this class of medications the most.

Drink More Fluids

Did your doctor ever tell you to drink fluids when sick? Well, there’s a good reason for that: fluids actually help the body flush out viruses, keeping you healthy. Fluids are particularly important for creating the mucus membrane that lines the respiratory system. The more of this you have, the more easily you can transport harmful viruses out of your body.

Don’t Work

In the current high-pressure work environment, many people suffer from presenteeism. This is the idea that they must show up to work every day in order to get ahead.

Working all the time is bad for you in general, but it’s particularly harmful if you have flu. You’re much more likely to get run down and experience more severe symptoms. You’re also more likely to spread infection to other people in the office if you go in with active symptoms.

Use the flu as an opportunity to give yourself time off. Try curling up on the couch, watching a few DVDs and generally pampering yourself.

Sleep More

Lastly, your body fights the flu the best while you sleep. Try going to bed early and sleeping for at least seven hours per night. Don’t spend time on your laptop responding to emails from your boss.