Ways You Can Create a Healthy Environment for Kids at Home

Many people find themselves in unhealthy relationships, often because of one simple mistake. They fail to impose healthy boundaries. This mistake often reaches their family members. Healthy boundaries are the boundaries you place around yourself. This includes protecting your time, emotions, body and mental health. Healthy boundaries can help you stay flexible and content with who you are. Recently, Emily H. Sanders, a marriage and family therapist, shared what healthy boundaries look like in a home.

Sanders shared an Instagram carousel of 7 characteristics of a home with healthy boundaries. “This kind of environment fosters respectful relationships with self and others,” he said in his caption. If you are wondering what these 7 characteristics are, read on to learn more:

respect for privacy

Just because someone lives under the same roof and shares a bloodline, it doesn’t automatically give them the right to keep everything that’s going on with that person a secret. Privacy includes emotional and physical space. No one should be forced to share beyond the limits they are comfortable with.

establish clear boundaries

Parents should clearly establish and communicate what goes on in the home and what doesn’t. These house rules must be applied fairly and regularly. Leaving kids to guess for themselves what’s allowed and what’s not is never a good idea. Clear communication makes it easy for a child to follow.

household composition

According to Emily Sanders, this feature is important for security purposes. A family structure goes beyond a power hierarchy where parents show that they are in charge. It can also look like a structure about physical time, such as bedtime and meal time, as well as a structure about physical space.

respect for bodily autonomy

Anything that isn’t a “yes” is automatically a “no”. Even among family members that should be understood and respected. There should never be unwanted physical contact. This is too important a limitation to apply to young children. It teaches them to respect other people’s consent and know that their consent matters too.

parents are not dependent on children

A child is not a friend, therapist or companion. They should be treated like children. Parents should never discuss or burden their children with their problems. It is better to get proper help and enable yourself to take care of the child the way they should be taken care of.

safe to seek help and comfort

If a child is afraid to seek help or comfort from their parent, that is never a good sign. Children are not well suited to take care of themselves and should not be left to their own devices. A healthy home is one where the child feels comfortable coming to his or her parents in times of crisis.

age appropriate decisions encouraged

At the end of the day, everyone is responsible for their own choices. including children. They need to be given space to make age-appropriate decisions for themselves. This can help the child understand the meaning of autonomy and independence.

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