I’ve noticed some recent discussion among the housebloggers pertaining to children—and more specifically, how those of us who have them manage to get any home renovation work done.
Some of you are new parents and understandably nervous and worried about how your activities will impact your young child; and others are maybe considering… well, let’s just say it must be Spring.

I’m certainly no expert on the subject of parenting. But I can tell you that if there’s one thing any kid loves, it’s a disaster area. I mean, c’mon—just go into any child’s room and you’ll see firsthand I speak the truth. Kids thrive on destruction, even at an early age. What’s the best thing about blocks? Why, the fact you can knock them down, of course!
Seeing the processes involved with change is great early education—maybe that’s why Bob the Builder is so popular with youngsters—so why not be the star in your child’s development?
This is obviously not giving you carte blanche to go on stripping lead paint or doing asbestos abatement with a child in the house, but I think new parents can be slightly paranoid at first about continuing with home improvement projects. Keep the projects within reason, your tools and harmful substances locked up and areas of potential danger off limits to young children for sure—but remember, that same innocent little angel is going to be eating bugs, dirt and far more unpleasant things in less than 10 months time.

Our daughter Deirdre was introduced to gonzo-style home renovating from a very early age. In this photo, taken when she was a year old, you can see that she’s being properly shielded from the harmful effects of viewing abhorrently bad kitchen wallpaper by wearing safety glasses.

Watching daddy saw pieces of wood or mommy paint a colour on the wall is far more interesting than any children’s show going; you might also be surprised to learn that the sound of certain power tools (at a reasonable decibel level) can be more effective in lulling a child to sleep than Baby Mozart. And a house under renovation, when viewed through the eyes of a child, is as filled with wonder as any amusement park.

I guess what I’m saying is don’t be afraid to take off the kid gloves and put on your work gloves.

technorati tags: home+improvement, houseblog, DIY, renovation,