There’s no doubt that living in an apartment community is incredibly different from living in a standard home. For kids, living in an apartment can be a bit of a “culture shock.” The new responsibilities that come with living in an apartment community can be difficult for children to learn without the right guidance. To help you teach your kids “apartment etiquette,” we’ve come up with a list of skills to teach them when transitioning from a house to a rental home.
What Exactly Should You Teach Your Kids?
Respect the Property’s Landscaping
Kids love the outdoors. Digging, pulling up grass, and hanging from tree branches are all activities that come naturally to them. In luxury apartment communities, however, children should respect the property by leaving all plants and landscaping materials (such as rocks and mulch) in their rightful place.
Walls are not Coloring Books
Walls that have been colored on are easy to fix with a fresh layer of paint. Regardless, it’s beneficial to teach your children that they should respect the indoor property of your new home. By teaching kids not to color on walls, you’ll save yourself the time it would take to paint over their future masterpieces.
Use Inside Voices
Apartment neighbors share close quarters with one another. It’s not uncommon for sound to travel from one unit to another. While it’s unrealistic to expect kids to stay silent, be respectful of your neighbors by teaching your children not to shout indoors.
The Oven is Not A Toy
A large number of house fires occur because of cooking appliances. By teaching your children to respect household appliances, you can avoid the dangers of a house fire. The oven and microwave are tools that children become curious about. Therefore it’s important to teach your kids that they are not toys and shouldn’t be used by a child.
Treat Neighbors with Respect
Some children can’t help but grow rowdy while playing with their friends. We understand that kinds enjoy having fun, but it’s important for them to respect the community’s other residents at the same time.
Touching the property of other residents’ or disturbing their peace in any way (by “ding dong ditching,” screaming excessively, or vandalizing property) in any way will not be tolerated in any apartment community.
Living in an apartment with your children has dozens of positive benefits. Some of these include increased security and a closer sense of community with your neighbors. Children can thrive in an apartment setting when they’re taught to abide by the community guidelines. It may be a struggle to teach your kids about living in an apartment at first, but the benefits of having a well-behaved child in your rental home will make a world of difference.
If you have any questions about finding an apartment for you and your family, contact our staff today at (240) 585-7100.
