How to Involve Your Kids in Room Decorating

Give your kids hands-on experience when it comes to decorating.
Give your kids hands-on experience when it comes to decorating.
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Left to their own devices, the kids would decorate your family’s home in a drastically different way than you would. Can’t you just picture the teen idol posters on the wall of your living room or the neon stripes they want to paint on those gorgeous hardwood floors? But that doesn’t mean that kids should be left out of decorating altogether. After all, whether it’s their own bedroom, the family room, or the kitchen, they have to live in the space as well, and it’s nice to make all of the living spaces in the home a reflection of the entire family instead of it only being what Mom and Dad think looks good. Finding the balance of a design that makes both the kids and parents happy isn’t always easy, but these tips can help.

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1. Make a List of Each Person’s Likes and Dislikes

Everyone has their own sense of style, and just as you may love green chevrons, another member of the family may prefer blue polka dots. Have the kids and adults in the family write down a list of their three favorite colors and patterns as well as their three least favorites. Then cross-reference them to see what likes and dislikes you have in common, if any. If everyone has green on their top three colors, then that certainly makes it easy, but even if that’s not the case, use these lists to direct your decor. Try to steer away from colors or patterns that certain members of the family have an aversion to, and only work them into the room design on a smaller scale if other members of the family happen to have those items on their favorites list.

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2. Narrow Down the Options in Advance

The number of options available to homeowners when it comes to home décor is expansive. Kids may quickly become bored with searching through piles and piles of fabric and paint chips. Using the guidelines you’ve created from your list of everyone’s likes and dislikes, have a parent narrow down the options to present to the kids. This keeps the control in the hands of a responsible adult who is paying for the design update while also giving the kids a say in what the final decisions are. Present the kids with at least three options for the items that you’re trying to make a decision on. Beware that everyone still may not agree so compromise will likely be necessary, but let each child give his or her opinion on why a particular selection is the best choice for the room.

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3. Let Children Create or Choose a Special Item for the Room

If you aren’t ready for your children to have such a heavy hand in the design of a space, let them create or choose one special piece for the room. It can be a drawing or painting that you frame, a throw pillow they can sew for a chair, or, if they don’t particularly like crafting, take them shopping to let them pick out some accessories to place on end tables and bookshelves. Every time they see their items in the room, they’ll be thrilled that their creations and selections are on display.

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4. Have Kids Help Physically do the Work

Getting the kids involved in the actual physical labor of decorating a space is a great way to show them what they are capable of achieving. Let them wield a paint brush, move furniture around until a suitable arrangement is achieved, or even build a piece of furniture if they have adult supervision. Not only will it help you create a space that everyone is pleased with, but it also gives the kids a greater sense of pride in their home – which should result in them taking better care of it by picking up messes and being happy to pitch in with the cleaning (hey, you can hope!).

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Lots More Information

More Great Links

  • Guide to Decorating Kids' Rooms
  • Decorating Styles
  • Finding Home Accessories that Reflect the Real You

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