We all have different tastes when it comes to decorating. Getting a parent and a child to agree on how the child’s room should be decorated is sometimes difficult. I tried as much as possible to enlist Tyler’s input on how he wanted his room redecorated and some of his ideas were pretty wild. Before Katrina I was actually beginning the process of switching my office with Tyler’s room because it was the bigger bedroom. Although he was just four at the time, I knew he would soon need more space and since I needed to remove the wall of Noah’s Ark wallpaper I figured we might as well switch rooms. Then Katrina came and the decision was made for me. Fortunately, he has calmed down somewhat and decided on a pretty simply decorating scheme. If he hadn’t I would have let him decorate his space his way. I figure after being uprooted and then replanted he deserved it. I could always close the door, after all! So should you allow your child to decorate his room to fit his taste?
The ideas kids come up with can be weird but let’s face it, it’s their space. You want to create a warm and fuzzy living space that your kids will want to hang out in. A place where they will feel comfy chilling with their friends. You can always change the paint or wallpaper so let them go for it. Angela Lamson, a North Carolina family therapist, offers these tips on how both parent and child can win the decorating wars.
(1) Parents should set simple guidelines to assure the room is safe and clean (no wall graffiti , for instance).
(2) Allow your child to decorate his room his way even if it does not flow with the color scheme or theme of the rest of the house.
(3) Since most kids can’t think ahead to the time when their taste will change (and this change might come soon), compromise on certain decorating items that will save you money. For instance, wallpaper one wall instead of four.
(4) Even if you don’t like your child’s choices, keep in mind that decorating for them is really about your child having a vision and realizing it.
See also:
Are You “Martha Stewart Challenged”?
Designing a Versatile Kids Room
Tolerating a Teen’s Redecorating