Two years ago, I moved my family to a house.

Shy above 110 square meters (1,184 square feet for my friends living outside of the metric world), the house itself isn't what you'd call big. But it is what we wanted. It's cheap to heat, cool down, and maintain.

This house we bought has an interesting floor plan.

The three bedrooms are relatively small, but the kitchen and dining room offer generous space for Christmas, birthdays, and other family gatherings. The living room is also quite "big"; it has two couches but no TV.

Because of this floor plan, we decided to encourage the children to play in the communal space. To be frank, when I see toys all over the place, I sometimes wonder if this was a good idea. But when I get rational again, I know it's the best choice.

Let me try to convince you.

First, opening the family areas to play invites the kids to do things together and build bonds that will hopefully last a lifetime.

Second, you get to see the play your kids engage in better. I love hearing my daughter invent stories. Witnessing her games lets me know what is currently on her mind.

Third, it teaches everybody to be better community members. All must learn to respect the other's boundaries in an unbounded environment. 

It also trains the kids to care for the house instead of their room only.

Finally, the kids love it—more space to run around and have mini adventures.

Arranging the space we live in is a way to shape and lead your family. Many of the things we do and how we do them are the product of our environment.