by Rachelle de Bretagne

Created on: August 24, 2008   Last Updated: May 12, 2012

Decorating a child's bedroom can be great fun if you plan it right, and go for ideas and times that suit the family and don't disrupt family life too much. During school holidays for example, the child may be able to switch rooms while you work on their bedroom but is also at a stage where they are bored and need occupation. You can take advantage of this and kill two birds with one stone, by enlisting their help in the process of changing their room.

Involving a child in the design of their room really helps a mom to bond with that child, and to teach them an element of responsibility at the same time. A child considers their bedroom their sage haven away from the world. Do you remember that security and love you felt in your bedroom as a kid? Or perhaps you didn't experience that because your parents didn't take into account your tastes and wishes. Involve the child, and the results you arrive at will not only please you but will be a great starting point in their choices in life, and a place they will remember with love.

• Planning

The planning of a child's bedroom matters. Talk to them about their ideas, and look at the overall space within the room. As a child grows, so their interests change, and even in a small bedroom, there is space to be able to integrate ideas that respect their lifestyle and choices in life. For example, a child at toddler age won't be able to tell you much about what they want, though they do know which colors they like. Brightly colored toy boxes will be out of date by the time that child reaches school age, and perhaps wants area influenced by what they are doing at school. By the same token, a teen won't be happy with a childish look to their room. Each child is different and by discussing their room rather than presenting them with what you perceive them to like, you will produce an understanding with the child, incorporating their ideas as well as your own.

Start a color board for older kids, and get them to try different colors together. It's fun. Perhaps they like certain TV characters and there are wallpapers available in that particular interest range. If this is the case, get a small cutting of the paper from the shop and talk through with the child what colors will go with that paper. A whole small room decorated with one of these colorful papers will look exceedingly small. It is wiser to choose a neutral color together for other walls, and to use the paper as a feature wall, that way, getting the best of

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