Let’s say your young child is a budding interior designer and wants a go at redecorating his/her room, but you aren’t quite ready to hand over the reins and relinquish complete control. On the other hand, it is a place your child will spend a lot of time, and you want to nurture that creative energy and allow some decision-making autonomy for your child. What to do? Here are some suggestions that can help keep both parties happy!
Collect ideas
Get ideas flowing by working with your child to create a collage or inspiration board of ideas they see and love. Beautiful ideas can be found in magazines, Pinterest, others’ homes, etc. It’s also a great idea to sketch a basic illustration of how you’d both like things to look with everything in place. That way both parties can have a preview and a chance to veto any sticking points.
The sky isn’t the limit
Children need and respect boundaries. Let’s imagine standing in front of the paint swatch display at any home improvement store and asking your child to select a color for the bedroom. There might be a few who could quickly select “the one” and have it be a color you would actually approve of, but chances are pretty slim. Instead, give your child fewer choices (about three total) within your child’s chosen color family. That way you can make sure it is something you are willing to live with and your child is given a choice.
Even we as adults feel overwhelmed with the decisions involved in home decorating – just imagine how a child might feel given an entire range of choices! This technique can work with all kind of selections such as wallpaper, bedding, light fixtures, curtains etc. And here’s an additional tip: Allow more leeway for choice in the areas that aren’t too expensive to replace, such as a throw pillow or a bucket of paint. Larger ticket items such as carpet, bed frames etc. might need to stay in control of the parent.
Bring in the art
Your child will most likely want to include some self-made artwork in his/her room – and why not? This is such a great way to personalize the space and reinforce the message that what your child creates is important and valuable. There are some nifty frames on the market that have a swinging hinge, and allow you to swap artwork in and out of the frame. Or, alternately, you could string a clothesline style display or hang a bulletin/magnet board on the wall. You might even consider providing your child with a few canvases and varying paint colors that are in line with the color palette for the room, and having them create a few signature pieces to display.
Trust them
Okay, there will be some choices you just simply won’t be able to tolerate. That being said, within the choices you do provide, it’s okay trust the child to make a good choice. Translation: Take a deep breath and step back and say ‘yes.’ Preferably, say it with with a relaxed smile on your face. Especially if there is one thing that is make or break for the child, consider allowing it even if makes you cringe. Who knows? You might end up really loving how it turns out.