It seems like only yesterday your child was a swaddled little bundle lying in a crib. Suddenly, they’re walking, talking, and developing opinions on just about everything, including their surroundings.
If the thought of redesigning your kid’s entire bedroom is as overwhelming as the thought of them growing up, don’t despair. Our tips for updating your kid’s bedroom as they grow will help make the transition easy and fun.
Foster Independence
When we design a nursery, we make it easy to navigate for us, not our kids. But the transition from a “little kid” room to a “big kid” room marks a shift in your kids’ capacity to take care of themselves and their surroundings, so your child’s room should reflect that.
Here are a few ways to update your kid’s bedroom as they grow to make it easy for them to navigate:
- Add lower shelves kids can access.
- Color-code storage containers to make it easy for kids to help with cleanup.
- Put up hooks so that kids can help put away clothing.
- Incorporate small “big kid” furniture like desks and chairs.
Making everything in the room accessible to your kids will help them feel more ownership over their space, encouraging responsibility and personal growth.
Allow Controlled Choices
As we said, your child is sure to have some thoughts about how they want their surroundings to look. If your kid is still very young, it can be tough to give them full rein as far as the design process goes, but you can still encourage ownership by allowing space for controlled choices.
- Give them a few choices for the color scheme.
- Create a bulletin board or chalkboard wall so that kids have a purposeful space to showcase their creativity
- Allow them to choose a theme for the room.
- Allow them to pick out framed wall art for the room.
Allowing kids to have a say in the design process will help them feel secure and safe in their room, and it’ll build confidence in their ability to make decisions that impact the world around them.
Repurpose “Kiddie Furniture”
One of the toughest parts of doing a room update is thinking about what to do with your child’s old furniture. If it’s a good size and still in good condition, throwing out a perfectly good dresser or table can seem like a waste, even if it’s covered in pictures of baby animals.
But you don’t have to throw out the old furniture just because you’re upgrading. If you simply add a coat of paint to the old pieces, you can reincorporate it into the room’s new design.