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5 Tips for Painting When You Have Children Around

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Putting a new coat of paint on the walls can really revitalise a room, but if you have little ones underfoot, this task can be challenging. To make painting easier, check out these tips. They are designed for parents of children.

1. Make Sure You Aren't Scraping Lead Paint

Lead is extremely dangerous. It can lead to all kinds of cognitive issues, but it's most dangerous to pregnant women and young children with developing brains. If you are repainting a room that has very old paint on the walls, test the paint for lead. Then, consider hiring a lead mitigation professional to address the issue, or at the very least, make sure no children are nearby while you are scraping off the old paint.

2. Get Them Involved

If the situation is safe, sometimes the best way to keep children out of the way is to get them directly involved. Responsible grade school age children can help put paint on the walls, and older children may even be able to help with detail work around the edges of walls.

Young children, however, usually need to be given a separate but similar task. For example, you could give them their own small jar of paint and a large piece of plywood to paint.

3. Put a Toddler Gate in Front of the Doorway

Some children are just a bit too wild to be effective helpers. If you're worried that your child may run around the room, splashing in your paint bucket or putting hand prints on the wall, consider putting up a child gate.

That way, you can leave the door open so you can hear your child and he or she can see you. However, you don't have to worry about them coming into your space. You may want to set them up with some toys and an iPad next to the door to keep them busy.

4. Paint After Bedtime

This option may require you to sacrifice a bit of sleep, but it's also a convenient way to paint the room without your child being involved. If you decide to paint at night, consider putting on overhead lights as well as lamps without shades. The more light, the easier it is to avoid weird streaks.

5. Hire a Painter

Alternatively, consider hiring a painter. Then, plan a fun day out for you and your child. When you get back home, you can enjoy your room with a new colour.


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