Unicorns, fashion accessories and evil in the form of glitter - all in a days work of a mother raising daughters
Fun, Fun, Fun...
Girl Power
For those of you lucky enough to be graced with the presence of little princesses, it’s essential to understand that their needs and wants are very different to a home full of boys. I grew up with many sisters and we were nothing but quiet and charming, until one wanted to wear those must-have pair of jeans or play hairdressers with real scissors and our own hair.
Think less ‘rough and tumble’, more ‘quiet and creative’; a home full of girls focuses around bedroom, bathroom, kitchen and more.
When breaching this subject with some Mums of all-girl families, they laughed at the word ‘quiet’. A house full of girls is far from that and where there may be less rough and tumble, those princesses can easily turn into drama queens so be prepared for mega meltdowns and evil that comes in the form of glitter.
We have found that there are some key zones in a home that needs extra focus when females are involved.
Bed / Bath & BEYOND
Bathroom
As your girls grow so too does the time spent in the bathroom,. It’s the small things that go a long way in a successful bathroom set up.
We suggest going for a bigger mirror and investing in good lighting. When trying to get out of the house in the morning, a double sink and vanity with extra elbow room will go a long way.
Girls have a lot of items that are used in a bathroom – if they are not already into make-up and hair styling there is a good chance they will be in years to come. You might want to allow extra bench space and storage so that this space grows with them.
Bedrooms
There is no hard and fast rule for girls’ bedrooms – every princess wants her own palace – so consult your girls when designing it. Allow room for their uniqueness to grow – if they like to read, then opt for additional book storage and a well-lit area.. If they are more on the active side, allow some open area for stretching and exercise. Study nooks are also great spaces for drawings, creativity and time outs. These spaces can always be used later for study during the school years.
Clothes sharing and fashion parades were a regular event in my home when growing up and having a space where these wonderful things can happen can be life-altering to a Mum who enjoys a clean house. Why not consider a Jack and Jill walk in robe located between two bedrooms?
Spaces to play and grow
Living / Lounge
Growing up, our lounge room was frequented with fashion parades, dance shows, Friends marathons and family time. Our lounge room had the three most important things in our home. It was next to the one and only corded phone, had the only TV with a remote and the only heat source in winter, an open fire place.
Oh how the times have changed! Families now thrive on open plan living and a lot of homes enjoy the comfort of many TVs or screens of some sort. As a Mum or a Dad we work tirelessly to achieve that family time with our kids, whether it be around the table at dinner or bonding over mutual TV shows we all love. When planning your living/dining room, take into consideration the multi-purpose uses of these spaces. Your dining room area can double for creative time or a study/homework area. The lounge room can be cleared for dance practice. Open easy flow between the kitchen, living and lounge is important as it allows a growing family to spread out but still connect with conversation and keep up to date with each other’s lives.
Kitchen
No matter the dynamic of a family, I always say home is where the food is. Coming from a long line of food lovers, kitchens and their layouts are high on my priority list. Open kitchen plans are not only on-trend; they also create the heart of the home.
As your girls become teens an open kitchen allows them to socialise with their friends and you, rather than being segregated to their rooms.
With a young family, why not allow a lower bench area so the kids can join in with the cooking. When they get older, this area can be transformed into a study nook or craft area.
Laundry
As your kids grow up, the laundry tends to multiply with uniforms, changes of clothes, sports clothes and sometimes last-minute room cleans. Give yourself space to move around, fold, stack and sort. Laundries are often overlooked at the planning stage and are often the first room to suffer from budget cuts . Good planning will allow this room to be as function as all other rooms.
Think about having an extra sink for stain removal soaking and delicate hand-washing or installing slide out flat drying draws for those dance costumes that you don’t want peg creases on. A healthy amount of bench space and an indoor clothes line will make sure you’re using the space as effectively as can be.
