The environment that you spend your time in can have a powerful impact on your mood, cognitive function, and the way that you act and react to the world. This is even more pronounced in children, who are veritable sponges for the world, taking in their surroundings even as they develop their personalities and mental capabilities. That’s why it’s important to consider how a kids’ room can affect them psychologically.
It is commonly known that a cluttered space can lead to a cluttered mind. This is particularly true in a kid’s bedroom, which tends to be an area that naturally attracts clutter. In order to help your children think in more logical, and ordered ways, make sure that you work with them to keep the space tidy and free of mess. This will reinforce those values in their mind on a daily basis while creating a room that feels clean and ready for play.
Space is also important. Children’s rooms tend to be the smallest in a household. They are also often shared by multiple siblings. However, if a child doesn’t feel like they have enough room, or if their bedroom feels stuffy and stifling, that can cause negative emotions, feelings of anxiety, as well as an inability to focus and accomplish tasks. Use space saving furniture items like bunk beds in shared rooms, and find pieces that serve dual functions such as captains beds that often have drawers built into their frames.
Color is another important element in a child’s bedroom. The psychology of color has been studied extensively by the scientific community, and certain hues do affect us in subtle and yet profound ways. For instance the presence of red tends to increase one’s metabolism, it wakes people up, and is great for getting sleepy kids out of bed in the morning. It also makes you hungry, which is why so many restaurants use a red palette. Blue is a better tone for projecting a sense of calm, while green can be a very peaceful and soothing color.
There is also a tactile dimension to kid’s bedroom décor that shouldn’t be overlooked. This is a space where you want your child to feel safe, and so it should be filled with soft things, pillows, blankets, and comfy couches or chairs. Furniture edges should be rounded, both for safety, and to create a softer visual landscape in the environment. The use of subdued lighting in the form of mood lamps or night lights can also be useful for different times of the day.
One of the most important things to ensure that your child’s bedroom is supporting their needs is to ensure that the environment reflects their personality. Have their pictures displayed proudly on walls and on the sides of furniture. Let them pick out the colors, with your advice, and ask for their help in choosing furnishings. In this way the space can be an expression of who they are, and thus reinforce their own individuality.