5 Ways to Prepare For Your (Ever-Changing) Kid’s Room

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When it comes to kid’s rooms and décor, I have one rule of advice: let your child participate in

the decisions. It’s their room and they know best what they prefer for colours, etc. Now, that

rule also carries with it a caveat, these decisions will be temporary. Children grow, change and

then change some more and so do their tastes.

 

The Countdown is On

prepare-your-kids-room

Babies’ rooms are (relatively) easier to decorate because you get to choose how the room will

look. You get to indulge your tastes …for a while. As soon as your child can talk, he or she will

develop opinions. From then on the countdown is on ‘til they tell you what they want in their

room. I usually give it five years. You’ve been warned. There will come a day when they will

outgrow that adorable space and insist on decorating their own space.

 

Participate with Paint

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I’m certainly not advocating that we indulge in their every whim and fantasy —unless you’re okay

with that, but at least let them take an active part in the decision regarding colour. Paint is one

of the least expensive decorating products and it can transform a space relatively quickly.

Think about it. Did your parents let you choose the wall colour of your room when you were a

child? My mother chose it for me so my childhood room was gold and brown. They were

contemporary choices ‘back in the day’ but I wouldn’t have picked them for myself.

 

Decor For Your Kids

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Today we see décor options for children that cater to their tastes, like cartoon characters or

hobbies. That interest may not last so add a few accessories based on the theme and spend

your investment on the more permanent pieces in a room. A great bed, desk and dresser can

last for years right into their first adult apartment. But that requires discipline on your part.

There is a whole category of juvenile furniture that may look great but is sometimes smaller in

scale, and your child may not be interested in those furnishings starting in their teen years.

 

Pre-Teen Stage

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The next stage in your child’s developing opinions on their “territory” come when your child

hits the pre-teen years. Suddenly all the childhood themes are replaced with something a little

more “aspirational”. Whether it’s sports, hobbies, or fandom, etc., your pre-teen will want a

room that reflects their changing tastes. As I mentioned, painting can produce great results,

then let them participate in what goes up on those painted walls. You may not like it, but

everything is temporary, including the holes in the walls.

 

Surviving their Teen Years

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Your teen may just start taking over the décor completely and become even more territorial

over their space. I have a client whose teen son always left the empty drawers open in his

dresser, the contents spilled out all over the floor. This client was mortified at the lack of

respect for tidiness. The teen, however saw it as a shortcut to getting dressed. This is normal,

some teens express themselves through their room. This can be alarming and depending on

your degree of tolerance, this may be the thing that puts you over the edge. But take a breath,

try to relax, this too is temporary.

 

If we can just keep in mind that it’s just décor. That it’s going to constantly change and develop.

Most children learn a healthy respect for their surroundings and develop their own tastes by

the time they’re adults. It may be difficult for those who like to control the aesthetics of their

homes, but try to look at it as a gift you’re giving your child –the gift to express themselves in

their own four walls. After all, one day you just might have a chance to exact revenge by

decorating the guest room in your grown children’s homes!