To ask you to help me sort my house out

[Merryoldgoat]

I’m in a right funk with my house. I’ve uploaded the floor plan to give some context.

Basically my toddler is a wrecking ball and there is no escape. He’s likely autistic and obsessed with emptying drawers and pushing my furniture around.

I can’t deal with it because there is nowhere to hide as my living room is big and open plan so the house never looks tidy and I find it extremely difficult to cope with.

Can you see a way of rearranging the downstairs? I’m not averse to some building work but I think it’s limited in terms of what I can do.

Any geniuses out there who can help?

What’s really depressing is we bought the house because we liked the layout so much but now I find it’s the bane of my life.

@KingdomScrolls

The one with the LHS blocked off might work! Let me see how I could rearrange 🤔

Could you move all your storage into the hall, (it looks wide in the hall) the idea of pushing bookcases around sounds really dangerous. Then only have his stuff to empty out. If he seeking sensory responses (?) could you get toys that give that response for him to focus on?

Just wanted to say that it does get better...sort of

My autistic toddler liked squeezing through things so I resigned myself to sitting on the sofa with him, acting like a squash test dummy.

He liked his little tykes red car and used to sit in that a lot in the sitting room.

The best thing though was we had to move the tumble dryer into the dining room and he discovered sitting on it was warm and calming. He used to eat his meals and practically live his entire life on top of the dryer! It was better than repeatedly climbing the kitchen table only to fall of it

Sorry - I should been clear about the bookcase - it’s one of those little kiddie sling ones - not a big bookcase! I’d be far more exercised if that was the case.

Thankfully it will get a bit better as the weather improves as he loves the garden and his slide.

The hallway is quite wide but we’ve actually put storage in so not so much space now.

I’m going to see how much difference drawer and cupboard locks help.

He’s sitting very quietly right now playing with his VTech toy and you’d never know what a battering ram he is.

I have lots of sensory toys too - he just doesn’t mine anything as much as emptying drawers.

Would you go as far as moving the kitchen and swapping rooms?

If you can afford it could you have one of those big summerhouses in the garden ( it looks long) and make it a sensory room? Get electric and light installed.

You have crash mats, soft play bits, swings and pull out drawers he could open and trash all he likes. Your living room is then more of a adult space.

The other thing is safety locks on cupboard s but keep certain ones for him to open with safe stuff in - Tupperware etc

@Aldidl

Would you go as far as moving the kitchen and swapping rooms?

I would love to do that but DH is very firmly against 🤣

@weightedblanketlove

If you can afford it could you have one of those big summerhouses in the garden ( it looks long) and make it a sensory room? Get electric and light installed.

You have crash mats, soft play bits, swings and pull out drawers he could open and trash all he likes. Your living room is then more of a adult space.

The other thing is safety locks on cupboard s but keep certain ones for him to open with safe stuff in - Tupperware etc

How the fuck have I not thought of this?!

I would swap the room, make the living room a kitchen/diner and family room and turn the kitchen either into a snug for yourself or a playroom for the children, looking at the plan if you keep the plumbing inline with where it is now it shouldn’t be too massive a job, I would look into it and cost it up at least, before letting DH dismiss it out of hand.

We’ve talked about it at length - he really doesn’t like open plan kitchen to living area - he’s a massive cook and it would encroach too much on the general living.

My first was look outside the house.

Log cabins needn't be hideously expensive.

Then when he's older it can be reconfigured to a more adult space complete with bar and pool table 😂

www.tuin.co.uk/

thought

Just have a massive storage cupboard in one courner. Store away and lock up most things and bring out as needed. My parents did similar under the stairs for my brother. This time will pass though. Not as quickly as with neurotypical kids but it does xxxx