Reach

“Wash your hands.”

Children hear this command all day long. “Did you use soap?” “How long did you bubble?” “Remember to dry, too.”

What if a child tries to follow through, but can’t? The sink’s too high. The soap dispenser’s set too far back. The towel dispenser’s out of reach.

At the airport in Providence, R.I.

It’s a baffling reality that children are forgotten in the design of the built environment. In architecture schools, students create perspective drawings of their projects. They follow the convention of placing the eye level at four feet above the ground. In so doing, millions are deprived of the view.

In Montessori preschools, things are different. Pictures hang low on the walls. Tables, counters, shelves, and sinks are scaled for young children to promote autonomy. But when the students graduate and move on to elementary school, their artwork gets displayed above a 40″ tile wainscot. It may as well be in the clouds.

Children not only need a safe environment, but an accessible and attractive one. (Think about adults and cars. Safety, function and aesthetics all figure in the design and selection of any automobile.) The architects of the Charlotte, North Carolina airport understood this. In the bathrooms, the 20 3/4″-deep counters accommodate everyone beautifully.

Charlotte Airport.

Here are five easy things you can do to welcome young people into your home.

1. Bathroom: Set stepping stools by sinks. Bring soap dishes close to the edge of the counter. A long bath towel is more accessible for drying than a short hand towel.

2. Living Room: Make a place for a young child by setting out a small basket of books and a child-size chair. A rocking chair or bean bag is especially inviting.

3. Kitchen: Reserve part of a drawer or a lower cabinet for a child’s dishes and utensils. Then she can find what’s needed and set a place at the table.

4. Bedroom: if a child’s spending the night, a stepping stool will help him climb in and out of bed. By setting his suitcase on the floor with the top propped against the wall, he can gather his clothes unassisted.

5. Hall, Den, or Dining Room: Place artwork or photographs low on the wall. There’s no need to drill holes for hangers; just go to an arts and crafts store and buy a few beautiful post cards and some artist’s tape. The tape is designed to be less-tacky so it won’t pull off paint.  Let the child discover the pictures in her own time, and give her space to formulate her ideas without adult input. When she’s ready to share her thoughts, kneel down next to her on the floor and meet her eye-to-eye. She’s using her regular voice, and loves it when you do, too.