5 Questions to Consider: Deciding if it’s Time to Redo Your Kid’s Room

I know that feeling. The new year rolls around and you peer into the kids’ room and wish it was beautiful and stylish and yet… it doesn’t quite hit the mark. You wish it was better. Is it time to redecorate? But when kids are growing and changing all the time, how do you know when the time is right for a kids’ room rehaul? Here are a few questions to ask yourself that just might help you decide if this year is “the year” or not.

1. Is your son or daughter about to hit a big life change? Is your child just about to transition from a crib to a toddler bed, or from a toddler bed to a full size? Is a new sibling just about to be born? To move in? To move out? A “yes” to any of these might indicate this is the year for a room re-do. A “yes, but not this year” would suggest to me it might be worth waiting another 12 months.

2. Do you feel like you are covering up babyness? If the room is starting to feel like it looks awkwardly “young”, it might be time to “grow it up”. And if the room is dysfunctionally young (for example, you had baby storage but now what you need is a school desk), you definitely need to “grow it up”. This could be done in part, by switching out accessories, bedding, art. But sometimes it requires going right back to the beginning with a new paint job. “Babyness” is a great reason to say “yes” to a room rehaul.

3. Is your son or daughter expressing their own sense of self and style? Remember being a young teen and wanting so badly your own special place that was really “you”? If your son or daughter has a room that is not “them” and yet is dying to express their sense of self through their clothes and music and everything else, why not afford them the opportunity for their own space, also?

4. Is an achievement in the air? The year my best friend finished top of her class, her parents allowed her to completely re-decorate her room. Is your son or daughter approaching a life victory? Perhaps, like my friend, it’s grades at your house, or an achievement in sports, art, music, maybe it’s a victory over something they’ve been struggling with for some time. Sometimes the best way to celebrate a mountain-top experience, or even a fresh start from something hard in life, is to be presented with a brand new space to live life in.

5. Is it the right time financially? It stinks, but this is a major question we all have to face whenever we redecorate. I agree that amazing things can be done on tiny budgets, but before all that, take stock of what you’d like to do, how much it would cost, and if you have that amount available to spend. Remember, decorating always seems to go a little over. If you come out short, plan to spend some time saving first. But if you think you can squeeze it in – what are you waiting for? Let’s get decorating!

So, what do you think, is 2014 the year for a new kids’ room at your place?