Whether you're decorating an empty kid’s room from scratch, freshening up their room with a little paint, creating a functional storage system or simply trying to clear the clutter - it's important that you work as a team. Decorating and organizing kid rooms takes teamwork. Of course, with babies and toddlers you need to take full control but as your children grow so should their responsibility in caring for their room.
In order for kids to have a space that’s really theirs, we need their input. Likes and dislikes need to be discussed. As well, compromises need to be made when it comes to room color, furniture, stuff, cleanliness and how to mesh everything together in one room.
Kid’s outgrow their rooms almost as fast as they outgrow their clothes. Not the physical space but its storage capacity and décor. Interests and hobbies change, more and more stuff comes and in most cases, very little goes out. They may outgrow their toys but they aren’t always willing to part with them. And, although a juvenile train border works well in a three year old boy’s room, your eight year old hockey fanatic is getting a little tired of falling asleep with the little engine that could.
To create functional and age appropriate room you need to take into account not only your child’s personality and their current interests but also what type of organizational system that will work in both their favor and yours. One that your child can easily stay on top of and one that keeps you off their back.
But before painting or looking at wallpaper or border samples you need to turn your thoughts to organizing. There’s no point redecorating your child’s room before organizing it.
Teaching kids to be organized is a lot like shoveling while it’s snowing. It seems like the whole experience will get you nowhere but the good news is that it can be done, and your effort does pay off in the long run. But it’s not a one shot deal. Organizing kid rooms is an ongoing process that must be revamped constantly to keep up with changing needs. It takes planning, patience and perseverance.
First, we must have our own organizing act together in order to assist our children with theirs. Children learn what they live. They model what they see. How can we teach our children something we couldn’t be bothered to do for ourselves?
The key is to become your child’s organizational consultant. Acting as their guide, survey what’s working and what’s not. To find an organizational system that matches her schedule and activity level consider your child’s lifestyle. Does she play mostly in or out of her room? Where does she do her homework?
The key is to become your child’s organizational consultant. Acting as their guide, survey what’s working and what’s not. To find an organizational system that matches her schedule and activity level consider your child’s lifestyle. Does she play mostly in or out of her room? Where does she do her homework?
Organizing kid rooms effectively is all about organizing with your children instead of for them. By becoming a united force you have a greater chance of devising an organizational system that will work.
For more tips on partnering with your child and teaching kids to be organized visit http://www.decorating-kids-rooms.net your one stop resource for organizing and decorating ideas. In addition to being co-owner of the website, Sherrie Le Masurier is a professional organizer who specializes in helping parents organize and decorate their kid's rooms. Copyright 2007.
