Give the kids some space
A CHILD’S room is rarely a tidy one, and if anything, it only gets worse as they get older.
New research by Habitat (habitat. co.uk) has found almost half (41%) of parents say tidying their child’s scruffy room is their biggest bugbear, and on average, parents spend £729 on their children’s bedrooms every year trying to spruce it up.
Habitat Kids spokesperson Emma Worrollo, a play expert from The Playful Den (theplayfulden. com), which runs a community, blog and courses to help encourage parents and children to be more playful, puts parental investment in children’s rooms down to an increased understanding of the link between play and wellbeing.
And The Mummy Concierge Tiffany Norris (themummyconcierge.com), who aims to help mothers figure out the best way through pregnancy and motherhood, says: “Furnishing your child’s bedroom can be fun, but also daunting. There’s so much to think about – from colour schemes and safety to themes – and these need to appeal to you as an adult, as well as to your child.” Here, Emma and Tiffany give their tips for creating a stylish bedroom that’s easier for parents and kids to keep tidy...
Tiffany Norris
“Always consider safety when it comes to your child’s bedroom –
Tailor your child’s space to their shifting needs make sure chests of drawers are attached to walls,” Tiffany stresses.
Emma suggests putting up accessible bookshelves, hooks and whatever else works to spread out the organisation options.
“Bulky storage concentrated around the floor is going to overwhelm the room quickly,” she warns.
To reduce the use of bits of paper that end up on the bedroom floor, you could turn one of the walls into a blackboard or whiteboard, so your child can write homework reminders, their sums or spellings, advises Tiffany.
If you and your child are at odds about decor – they want a space theme, you want something more subtle – compromise by decorating the ceiling, suggests Tiffany.
“You could add stars and moons on the ceiling, so when your little one lies in bed they can see it,” she says.
Create a work area they enjoy sitting there,” says Tiffany.
If a child builds a model or makes a piece of art, think about reserving some areas of their room for display purposes, Emma suggests.