Tile and hardwood are completely different. You need something durable, which both of those are, but think about the other issues. What climate are you in? Tracking in snow? sand? barefoot in the house? Tile is hard and cold. How are your kids destructive? Scraping toys along the floor? spills? Engineered hardwood can be just as easy to keep nice as tile, and is easier for falls. You can also use it on the stairs. If you do use tile downstairs, use hardwood or carpet on the stairs depending on what you have upstairs. Carpet on stairs is hard to keep clean, but is safer for young children for now. Or you can use tile down, and hardwood on the stairs and through upstairs hallways.

Tile is going to be so cold regardless of the location and if you want something consistent you can go with engineered hardwood and wood on the stairs and maybe even add a runner up the stairs and some area rugs through out the down stairs to help with echoes and also for warmth and defining spaces. For color wise i would go with a medium tone because if its too dark you'll only see dirt and dust and the same thing if its too light. Hopefully this helps!

Engineered, pre-finished hardwood floors are highly durable and much warmer and more comfortable than tile. They are also better for re-sale. Regarding the stairs - most builder-grade carpeted stairs can't be left uncovered - they aren't made from decent wood. So the cost of refinishing them in a real wood is a potential issue. A good, medium toned durable wool carpet on the stairs is cleanable and will last a good long time.