Imagine the Possibilities

Kids love to imagine. They do it all day, every day. But what do they love even more than imagining? Imagining with you. It can be difficult for adults to imagine the way children do but they at least appreciate it when we try. Taking inspiration from this heart-warming story about a volunteer built cubby house based off a little girl’s drawing, get your kids to design their perfect bedroom. Put the details on paper and then…

Compromise

You’re going to have to do a lot of compromising with your kids in order to design the ideal room for both you and them. Don’t shut down all of their ideas too quick. There’s bound to be some good ones in there amongst all the over the top ideas that you’d have to move mountains for in order to bring to life. Indoor slide or bouncing castle floor, anyone? Latch onto their good ideas and run with them. They’ll love that they got to help create their dream room and you’ll get a bedroom that fits the design of your home and ticks all the boxes.

Don’t Forget to Organise

Probably the most important aspect of redoing your child’s bedroom from scratch is coming up with storage ideas to organise all their junk. Unless you’re a minimalist and your kid’s well-adjusted to this way of life (let’s be real), then you’re likely going to need some pretty serious storage solutions. If you’re inbuilt cupboards don’t already have drawers, hangers and shelves inside, create more space by adding in some shelves to store your kids toys and clothes. If your kids have a lot of soft toys and teddies (of course they do), let your kid pick out a bean bag from the store and fill them up with their soft toys. It’s seating and storage in one!

Stick to a Budget

Before you begin the actual decorating and design. Don’t forget to set a firm budget for your project. Remember this is just one room. Factor in the new items you’ll likely need, such as a new bed, new bedding, cabinets, bookshelves, etc. Don’t go overboard with new furniture if you already have items that suit or can be renewed with a lick of paint or some easy repairs. Don’t forget to factor in how much paint you’ll need. This is often much more expensive than people realise. Once your budget is set, stick to it. Don’t cave into every new whim from your child as you undertake the project if you’ve already planned out your design. This can lead to stress and some pretty big bills later on.

Remember Why

Don’t forget why you chose to decorate together. This is a project that you could have tackled yourself, but it’s something you decided to take on with your kid’s involvement. Don’t forget to pick your battles when compromising. Remember that this is something that’s supposed to be fun for both you and your kids, not something that should end in a screaming match.