Between about age six and 11, children can experience the world in a
wonderfully free way. Liberated from the limitations and frustrations of
early childhood but not yet in the thick of the demands and concerns of
adolescence, kids, in what classic psychology calls the "latency
period," are avidly discovering their world and their own potential. You
can guide and support this discovery process by the way you design your
child's room.
Grade-schoolers are a mixed bag. Like younger kids,
they still need space to play on the floor and kick up their heels in
safety. But like older kids, they have to contend with a lot of
homework. A good-size desk, a comfortable chair, and a minimum of
breakable knickknacks help satisfy both the big and little kid inside
your grade-schooler.
When it comes to decorating the space, a
grade-schooler is old enough to have significant input. No guarantees,
but the more your child is involved in helping plan the room scheme, the
likelier it is he or she will take pride in the space and take care of
it. Kids this age often have hobbies, interests, or talents that are
already part of their self-definition, so by all means reinforce those
you feel are positive.
Keep your eyes open for key items that will
pull a positive room concept together for your child. It may be easier
than you think. One lively boy who loved the big cats but not his pale
turquoise walls changed his mind when given a dramatic quilt depicting a
rare white tiger with turquoise eyes. The quilt border colors were
turquoise, brown, white and green, so the rest of the room took on a
jungle theme.
An artistic girl who had a hard time choosing one or
two colors for her room found happiness with a rainbow motif. People
began giving her rainbow-decorated accessories, so her room came
together quickly. A nice plus: Just about any clear, solid color fits
in. What theme can you use to knit together your child's preferences and
interests with the room and furnishings you already have?
At this
stage of the game, you and your child may still clash on the issue of
color, but a grade-schooler is also old enough to understand (or at
least accept) your explanation. If he wants vivid blue and bright
orange, for example, you can satisfy that desire with small furniture
items and accents in those hues and treat the walls to a pale,
room-expanding tint of light blue or light orange sherbet.
Whether
you and your child are inspired by a specific theme or just a color
scheme, don't feel you have to create something elaborate. Keep in mind
that the pictures you see in this book or in decorating magazines are
settings at their "company best." In everyday life, a grade-schooler's
toys, books, homework projects, and clothes tend to take over all but
the most rigorously policed spaces. Even a minimally decorated room will
look plenty busy most of the time, so keep it simple.
One proven, simple approach is to develop a color scheme of two or
three hues and stick with it when buying or refurbishing pieces. If you
have less-than-pedigreed furniture, paint pieces one color and add wood
pulls and knobs in another color or design. If you're buying fabric
accessories, use the more sedate color for big items such as a comforter
or an upholstered computer chair. Save the brighter, lighter color for
pillows and other small accents. If your child's scheme is navy and
yellow, for example, you can swap the yellow for red, light green, pink,
or any number of other choices when their tastes change without a big
investment.
What if your child's favorite colors and preferred
theme seem at odds? If that happens (it may, if you've got a
particularly imaginative youngster), look beyond the prepackaged ideas
out there. For example, a butterfly theme doesn't have to be delicate
and pastel; the common monarch butterfly is dramatic black and orange.
So, imagine a room with peach walls hung with monarch butterfly prints
and black lacquer furniture with brass butterfly drawer pulls. You get
the idea. Virtually any concept can be used with a little creativity.
Stumped
on how to make it work? Ask your child. To a grade-schooler, the world
of imagination is still clear and present, and a sea green giraffe may
be just what he or she had in mind.
