• collaborative post with Dulux
We’ve been planning renovations on our home since pretty much since the moment we moved in six years ago, so to say I’m literally BURSTING with ideas for the children’s bedroom is an understatement.
Our biggest reno goals are to give them an indoor play room (with lots of cupboards to hide their mess mountain of toys), and – I can’t wait for this – a bedroom of their own.
Big Sis is about to start Year 4, which means secondary school is not that far away (gulp). She needs somewhere she can do her homework without her little sister interrupting her. And Lil Sis still has a tendency to jump in my bed at night, so I’m hoping a space of her own will convince her to stay put.
I’ll hold my hands up and admit that I’m a bit of a control freak when it comes to decorating – I guess I’ve always been worried that if I asked the girls what they wanted I’d end up with a room that was half Barbie pink, and half camouflage green.
So it was interesting to read the results of a new survey carried out by Dulux, in which 2000 families were interviewed. It revealed that 92 percent of kids would spend more time in their room if they could help decorate it. HOWEVER, only one-quarter of parents actually involved their children in that crucial creative process.
Hmmmmmmmm… perhaps I’ve been going about this all wrong…
According to Developmental Psychologist, Dr Sam Wass, it’s vital to a child’s development to let them be ‘in charge’ every now and again.
‘The bedroom is the first real, permanent thing that (children) can influence,’ he elaborates. ‘Involving a child helps them to establish their own inner space and the image that they want to project to others. And for parents, having a chance to work together with their children can really help to establish a stable, respectful relationship.’
Plus, Dr Wass adds, because they have more pride in something they’ve helped to create, children will also be more inclined to keep their bedrooms tidy, so they can show it off to friends.
It’s a win/win for both sides.
I was surprised to read that helping decorate their room was ranked by the survey respondents as more important than starting school, or losing their first tooth.
It’s made me re-evaluate our decorating plans, and realise that I shouldn’t just force my design choices on the girls. When the time comes, DULUX have a brilliant online resource to help you all design the perfect children’s bedroom together.
The DULUX KIDS’ BEDROOM WORKBOOK shows you how to create six fun and fabulous themes: Jungle, Sports, Superhero, Space, Circus and Storybook (pictured above).
There’s nothing more frustrating than decorating a room, only to find it looks grubby and worn out within a few months (yes, I’m speaking from experience). To combat this, Dulux recommends using their Endurance+ Matt paint.
Its Diamond Tough formulation is twenty times tougher than standard Dulux Matt. More importantly for children’s bedrooms, you can wipe it down without the colour fading or getting rubbed away. Gah, I wish I knew about this paint sooner!
You can download the workbook and follow it step-by-step. On the website you’ll also find easy-to-follow video tutorials, downloadable ‘how-to’ sheets and even shopping lists to help you pick out the perfect finishing touches – from bedding to soft toys.
It’s so easy to achieve the children’s bedroom of ALL of your dreams. What are you waiting for?
