Baby comes home
It is likely the happiest day in your life, the day the baby comes home. Their new nursery has been planned for and shopped for by everyone that knows just what you'll need. Sure, it looks nice right out of the box. But will it stay that way. Planning for baby is quite a bit different then having baby at home. The crib looked nice over there at first, but at 2 am it might not. Be ready to adjust to the practical realities that your baby will bring home with them. Your sanity will depend on many things over these first several months, if not 18-20 years, so be ready to be flexible. Remember also that the diaper pail may look nice in one spot but when you’re changing, right next to you is where it will need to be.
Toys, toys and toys
Some say that plastic has been a godsend for the human race. Maybe it has and maybe it hasn't. Either way you look at it, it sure has found a way into children’s toys. As you go about decorating your small ones bedroom be sure to think about where all this plastic is going to go when you’re not tripping over it. Shelving is one option but the toys can very easily be pulled off in an uncontrolled way. They also lead to climbing for that one special toy. Closets are an option for toys but that is generally a losing battle and might as well lead to just taking the door hinges off so the toys can spill out more easily. The one tried-and-true idea when it comes to toys is the big old durable toy box. Make it big, make it durable and make it so the top can be left off or on. Off is good so you can practice your three point shot from across the room when you’re picking up that transformer toy.
The princess and the outfielder
When your child gets to the princess and sports star age you will be starting to cede authority to them in terms of what is found in their room. Decorating is generally a thing you may or may not find. The odd frog or stay lipstick perhaps, but style is somewhere in limbo. You can try to put a style into the room but it won’t likely matter. Styles will become a dime a dozen with just keeping the space clean being the general idea. If at all possible, sorting down through the pile of stuff that has been accumulating is likely a good decorating tip as the tween years are about to fill the space again.
The world of the tween
Decorating tips at this age will quickly find the room walls being covered with posters of the day. Trying to get the "tween" into an educational mode at this age is a good idea. A location that will eventually serve as a place to study may be a good place to start even though it will likely be covered rather then used.
The young teen
If you have managed to get some sort of place for study and organization into the child’s room by this point you are ahead of the game. You will be quickly losing any decorating influence where the young teen is concerned and regulated to suggestion. If your teen is like most, you are the enemy and only the opposite of what you say will do. Still, if you can find a few structural elements in the room you are doing well. A place for the computer, a place for the entertainment items and a place other then the floor for clothes are good places to start. The off chance that your child is organized can mean taking advantage of the situation with shelving, a desk set-up and extra drawers for clothing. Generally, put it in the room and let them at it is the way to go.
I know best
At this age the child is likely to be finding out who they really are. They may not be there quite yet but they are moving in the right direction. Keep a few basics in mind like reasonable colors and costs but you’ve lost authority at this point so try to aim for limits rather then direction.
Sanctuary
Now the space is yours. Clean it all out and do it the way you would like. Remember, however, that the child will likely be back and want to see a few of their possessions around the room.
