November 26

The Growing Room

Our family spent a lot of the Thanksgiving long weekend working on our daughter’s bedroom. We moved to this house almost 6 years ago when she was in 5th grade. Her room hadn’t changed much since we moved although she has transformed into a 16 year old with a driver’s license.

I feel strongly that children’s bedrooms should be inspiring and should be expressive of their identity at an given time. A child’s room is also their primary entertaining space for friends as well. I felt bad that I hadn’t noticed that she had outgrown her desk and offered to make-over her room for her for Christmas. Discussing colors, needs and finishes helped me to understand her routines, taste and preferences in a new way. We discussed lighting, how she studies and how she wanted to use different parts of her room. Bill pitched in some ideas and help assemble the new desk and a new bedside table. At an age when many parents are wrestling for power with their teens, it was really lovely to be working together toward a shared goal. It wasn’t hard to find things we both liked and were affordable. I made a private Pinterest board and sent her links of thing I thought she’d like to give a thumbs up or down. As we went through her possessions and notebooks, we laughed and read aloud notes, lists and stories she had written. It was a really great way to spend our weekend.

We have a few more details to complete but the goal is to have a room that will grow with her and that will feel age-appropriate for her last two years of high school and when she comes home from college on breaks. Giving a child the chance to help shape the space they live in is a wonderful journey of exploration for a family.