Friday 22 May 2015

Kid’s rooms revisited – the floor doesn’t have to be a Lego graveyard!


Everyone has a memory of treading unexpectedly on a Lego brick when tiptoeing across a child’s bedroom floor – either as that child, sneaking downstairs for an illicit biscuit or as a parent or babysitter trying not to wake the child with unwisely loud cursing. And it does hurt – a lot! Keeping kids on message when it comes to keeping their bedrooms tidy is a bit of a mission, though – tidying is boring; playing isn’t. But most children – except the real tinies and of course the ubiquitous teenager – like to have a neat environment. It is more calming and certainly most people of any age would rather live in a tidy room than in a pigsty. So, how to make them keep their room looking good, all the time?

Buy some new stuff and they will want to look after it

If their room is just full of tatty bits and pieces inherited from older siblings there is no earthly reason for them to keep it neat. Would you? Instead, gather them round the laptop and go shopping – set them a budget and tell them that they have to stick to it. Also make sure you retain power of veto – kids can be weird. A nice bedroom rug will immediately appeal to the girls, especially if it is fluffy and a bit princessy. For the boys, there are lots of children’s rugs for sale which are in football colours and if they are not sporty, you can also get some that are printed with roads or other play scenarios. For the really little ones, you can perhaps run to several children’s rugs in different colours, for playing farms or zoos. Whatever you decide, let the child in on the decision-making.



Big kids get homesick too

When your eldest is going to university, there is a lot of emotion sloshing around the house. He or she is bound to be playing it cool and pretending they don’t mind leaving home. Mum and Dad are probably in bits. But here’s the secret – they don’t want to go any more than you want them to, but it has to be done. They will be feeling a bit cut loose in their room in halls or in a shared flat or house so buying them some bits and pieces to make it feel like home is a good plan. A bedroom rug chosen with Mum or Dad will always be a reminder that the family are still there and best of all, it doesn’t look quite as childish as a teddy sitting on the bed – boys in particular will really appreciate that! A bedroom rug is also a handy purchase, because it can go from digs to first flat to a first real home and will keep some continuity – kids need that more than they will ever let on. So whether you are buying a bedroom rug for a toddler to hide his Lego in or a student about to fly the nest – make it a family affair.

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