Why was it that Dorothy loved that little house in Kansas? It was a farmhouse—not even in the best shape. The paint was peeling. The front porch sagged just a little. With all of the chores to be done, the inside was less than sparkling.

If interior designer Terry Willits had to guess, she’d say perhaps none of this mattered. Dorothy loved home because within its walls, she could count on many things—the smell of Auntie Em’s homemade rolls baking, the feel of the summer breeze as it moved the curtains and cooled her, the taste of fresh cookies and milk straight from the cow, the view from her window of the sunset on the plains, the sounds of the farm animals in the back yard.

Home

How about you? If you think back to your childhood, what memories come to mind? Does it make you want to shut your eyes and go there? If you said yes, chances are it wasn’t because of the architecture.

Terry credits the ways, knowingly and unknowingly, that a parent stimulates a child’s senses for creating that unique place called home.

Single parents have an even more pressing need to create warm, sense-filled memories of home. Most single-parent children have experienced the loss of another parent in one form or another. To a child who has known loss, the sensations of home life become an even greater treasure.

Such experiences create security in a child’s changing and seemingly unstable world. Imagine a child who clings to a blanket. Touching and holding that blanket gives him a sense of security. Stimulating other senses repeatedly gives children a chance to become familiar with certain experiences—the smell of muffins baking every Saturday morning, the soft night light leading the way to the bathroom, a decoration that appears on a certain holiday. That familiarity produces security.

Keep in mind that a parent’s touch is also important for creating security. Greet your children at the door with hugs. Hold their hands during mealtime prayer. It takes little time and no money, but the benefits are immeasurable.

These methods of providing immediate short-term pleasure will make any experience more positive, but over time stimulating the senses can do another amazing thing—create memories.

Not just for kids

Children are not the only ones who benefit. You, too, can find satisfaction from creating a home full of sensory pleasures. You can be sense-sationally blessed by sitting down for a cup of tea, taking a bed tray up to your room for a late-night snack, taking a bubble bath or lighting a scented candle while you are reading.

“ Unless you replenish yourself,” Terry says, “you don’t have a lot to invest in children.”

There are a number of ways to create memories and sensations that will stay with you and your children. You can incorporate sweet smells into the living areas, memorable tastes into specific holidays, a comfy feel to each room and a warm overall look that is inviting and friendly.

Don’t feel overwhelmed. Begin with one sensation and over time, incorporate others. It’s never too late to begin building sense-ational memories with your children.