If your home has become the house where your teen and their friends all happily gather, you’re in luck! Your place has been designated as the coolest hangout spot in town. Though things can get a little loud sometimes, it’s likely that you get a sense of peace and relief knowing where your child is when they’re not in school. Jeremy Serrano, a pastor based in Concord, California, revealed in a TODAY interview that he and his wife made a conscious effort to create a house that their children’s friends want to hang out at. “It’s just one of the best things we’ve ever done,” he said. “Because we get to know our kids’ friends and then we know that they’re hanging out here.”
Parents who regularly host hangouts in their home may want to consider creating a dedicated space that’s safe and functional, yet fun for their child and their friends to spend time in. This allows teenagers to be comfortable, and it also keeps all the activity, noise, and mess contained in one area. Here’s how to create the perfect hangout spot for your teen and their buddies.
Choose the Perfect Spot
There are a few places in your home that can serve as the ideal hangout space for your teen and their friends. For instance, do you have a basement that’s free of leaks, mold, and has good ventilation? Consider designating this as your teenager’s official hangout spot. Don’t have a basement? No problem. Your porch or patio will do. If you have a fairly large living room, you can divide it into two separate spaces with a freestanding screen, and your child can use half of the space to entertain their friends.
Once you’ve chosen the perfect spot, provide comfortable seating with a couch, a few ottomans, and a couple of floor cushions on a rug. You may also want to have a custom made sofa bed so your teen and their friends can lounge comfortably while watching a movie. As a bonus, it can also be used for weekend sleepovers so your teen and their same-gender friends can sleep in their room, while their friends of the opposite sex can sleep in the basement or the living room.
Add Some Tech and Gaming Equipment
Teens need to do shared activities while hanging out, so provide some tech and gaming equipment to keep them happily occupied. You can hang a flatscreen TV on the wall which they can use to watch movies or a TV series, then add a gaming console. There’s no need to get these brand new if you’re concerned about your budget– check out Facebook Marketplace or Habitat for Humanity ReStore for used stuff, or visit a Best Buy outlet that sells refurbished appliances.
If your teen loves to play music with their friends, provide some musical instruments, like a keyboard and a guitar. Meanwhile, having a mini foosball table, plus a couple of board games will allow them to spend some screen-free time together. If the hangout spot is in an enclosed space, think about installing soundproof panels to minimize noise and prevent other family members from getting disturbed or distracted while your child’s friends are in your home.
Establish Some Ground Rules
Opening up your home to your teen’s friends is considered to be a very ‘cool parent’ move, however, you still need to establish some ground rules to keep everyone safe. Setting boundaries also lets the kids know that while you’re happy to have them in your home, they should also make it a point to respect your house rules and all the other members of your family. Some of these rules may include no sneaking into bedrooms, no bringing and drinking alcohol, no smoking or gambling, and keeping noise to a reasonable level.
They should also clean up after themselves before leaving, and tell you when they’ll be heading home. This is very important so that if a parent calls you to ask about their teenager’s whereabouts, you can tell them to expect their child shortly since they just left your home. You may also want to know if any of your teen’s friends has an allergy so you can avoid serving food or drinks that may trigger their allergy symptoms.
Creating a hangout spot in your home allows your teen and their friends to have a fun place to spend time together. Consider these tips to make the perfect hangout space, and don’t forget to set rules to keep everyone safe and happy in your home.
