- my iParenting
- quick clicks
- preteenagers today articles
- preteenagers today q&a
- teenagers today articles
- teenagers today q&a
- message boards
- research baby names
- prepare a birth plan
- content channels
- ip channel rss feeds
- read birth stories
- read parenting stories
- recommended books
- e-newsletters
- safety recalls
- ip diaries
- ip store
- mom of the month
- dad of the month
- editor's letter
- letters to the editor
 |
- e-newsletters
- Sign up to receive our free weekly e-newsletters
- award-winning products
The iParenting Media Awards program helps parents find the best products for their families.
Back-to-School Bedrooms
Redesign Your Child's Room for the School Year
By Laura Paul
Pixies frolic amongst toadstools. A fairy hovers on the ceiling. While it may be difficult for children to fall asleep with fairy dust in their eyes or to finish homework when their bedrooms are an enchanted forest, themed rooms are nothing short of magical. Fortunately, it doesn't take a magic wand to give your child's bedroom a new back-to-school feel.
Deb Mulvehill, owner of Pitter Patter Designs in Springfield, Ill., says wall murals generally last children seven years, but provide a lifetime of memories. "Make a room into a jungle and your child a part of the safari," she says. "Or have a fairytale castle painted with the words from a children's book to include the name of your child."
Ellen Cantor, an interior designer based in Torrance, Calif., advises parents to pick themes that grow with their children. Start with durable, neutral-colored furniture and add inexpensive accessories or disposable decor items, she says. "The most important thing is involving the child – even if he is 3 years old – with what he wants in the room," says Cantor, who has been in the interior design business for 21 years. "Find out if the child is interested in dinosaurs, the circus or trains. Then evaluate whether this is something he will be interested in for several years."
Play with fabrics, headboard designs and stencil drawings that can be changed as the child makes the transition from preschool to kindergarten.
Don't be seduced by cute decorative themes without thinking about the main purpose of a bedroom: a tranquil place for sleep. In order for children to get up when the alarm clock sounds, they need a restful night's sleep in a cozy bed without distractions. Consider a suspended bed canopy to create a dreamy, private recluse for the child.
