Child-friendly bathrooms

Step it up, or bring it down
The more self-sufficient your children are in their bathroom the more they’ll feel like it’s their own space – and the less you’ll be called on to help out. So make sure they can reach and operate everything you’re expecting them to be able to use without your supervision. Lower toilets, shallow-sided baths, and child-sized sinks are all available to help you achieve this. But if you don’t want to invest in features that will need to be replaced in a few years as your child grows up, simply make sure you install plenty of sturdy non-slip steps and have reachable taps. Wall-mounted sinks are a good option, because their position can be raised as kids grow taller.

Stop the slips
With all the wetness around, limiting the potential for slips and falls is a major safety issue. Install a non-slip bath, or simply pop in a rubber mat or stick-on grip pads to prevent tumbles in the tub. A non-slip mat or rug at the side of the bath is also essential to soak up splashes and drips, and will help prevent the floor getting sodden. Even so, you’ve probably noticed that kids seem to have any uncanny knack of being able to find a way to fall over just about anywhere! So, you might want to add protective covers to any sharp corners just in case (these are widely available from baby and child shops). A soft-close toilet seat will avoid slams and could help prevent trapped fingers. And how about installing a motion sensor to automatically turn on the light during night-time visits?

Colouring in
Chances are your children will relish having a say in the decor of their bathroom. You may even want to let them have a go at decorating some of it themselves, perhaps by painting their own designs on tiles or, if they’re really arty, they could even paint a wall mural. It’s usually best not to let them personalise anything that can’t be easily replaced though, kids turn into teenagers seemingly overnight – and what you might think is cute and nostalgic, might suddenly become the world’s most embarrassing example of decor in their eyes.

Not keen on going too far down the kiddie-styled route? To keep the look a bit more sophisticated, you could just allow them to have the room painted in their favourite colour, and chose paint in stylish shade of that hue.

Changeable themes
If your children would love a themed bathroom, but you’re worried about how quickly they’ll go off it, try keeping the decor neutral but adding themed accessories, which can be easily replaced. It’s highly likely that their current-best-loved character, creature, sports team, or whatever will be festooned across a massive array of widely-available items: shower curtains, towels, tooth brushes and holders, window blinds, and bath toys - to name just a few.

Plenty of put-away places
If you’re hoping to retain any semblance of order in your children’s bathroom, you’re going to need to provide an ample amount of storage space. Baskets on shelves and buckets by the bath, which kids can simply toss their bits, bobs, and bath toys into can provide a high-capacity, fuss-free solution. If your offspring are a little older and you’d like a more stylish look with cupboards and cabinets just make sure there’s enough space for everything. Also ensure they know where the space for everything is so there's no excuses for things being left out of place! Whatever their age a linen basket for used towels and discarded clothes can be invaluable in keeping the floor clear.