Whether it is just you and your spouse, or you have children and your elderly parents living with you, the home should be a special place. It isn’t just where you hang your coat up and rest after a long day, it is a place that should feel safe, comforting, and provide you with the human need of belonging.
People can often get caught up in square footage and renovations, and while they can be an important part in providing a comfortable home for you and your family to live in, it can also be helpful to think beyond decor.
Redefining what home really means
When you think about home, it is often the physical space that first comes to mind. An apartment, a house, a street, something that feels familiar. But emotionally, there is something less tangible about the home itself. There is a feeling of safety after a long day, the quiet knowledge that you belong somewhere, the comfort of routine, and so on.
Across different stages of your life, and all the members of your family, this is what makes a home really important. As people grow and get older, their needs change. This is where having a focus on how you live, over where you live, can be helpful.
Emotional safety within the home
Creating emotional safety within your home helps to create a solid foundation. Many people have to wear different masks throughout the day, in front of colleagues and friends. Home should be a place where a person can express themselves fully and honestly, feel supported, and let their guard down. You want to be able to feel regulated and at ease in your own home.
For families, emotional safety can be crafted in a number of different ways. For example, shared meals and bonding time, predictable routines, or the comfort of a trusted person to come home to. For older adults, it might be getting their needs met without losing autonomy.
Mental health is closely tied to the sense of safety that families feel within their home environment.
Family and the home across life stages
Family life will always evolve. Whether you have growing children or elderly parents, the sense of belonging will never disappear. A big part of this is familiarity. Children rely heavily on routine to feel secure, and parents often build entire lifestyles around it. Later in life, familiarity is just as important. If you care for elderly parents, it can be hard to know what to do, as you want to provide a nice home and care for them, but you also need to think about everyone’s wellbeing. There are many great independent living options for older adults out there, and the same rules can be applied to support them through this difficult, yet necessary transition. Through the use of daily rhythms, familiar faces, and trusted relationships, your parents can be supported later in life, whether they live with you or they live independently.
Home is something that should be crafted over time and can be redefined when needed. Creating a home that helps you and your family feel safe and like you belong is key.
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