Bedroom Ideas: Creating Healthy & Supportive Energy
Feng Shui Fundamentals of Healthy Bedroom for Kids
Feng Shui claims to use energy forces to harmonize individuals with their surrounding environment.
Parents consistently want to give their children the best in life. That’s all a part of being a parent. So what if you could set up your child’s bedroom to most beneficially support them at the various stages in life?
Like the subtle transformation of the seasons, your child moves through different phases in life, so it’s smart to reassess her bedroom along the way... Updating is crucial, and not just ‘superficial’ updating, but updating with a purpose in mind. Things to consider include: what are your child’s needs and priorities at this time? What are their interests? What motivates and inspires them? What calms and balances them? Do they already have accomplishments in life that they are proud of?
You can begin creating a healthy little haven for your child even before he or she is born. Knowing the sex of the child can be helpful but it is not essential. At this stage you are preparing and arranging your current living space to accommodate a new family member(s). Updating your entire home is ideal, but for purposes of this article, let’s stick to just bedrooms for now…
Regardless of which stage in life your child is at (new born to post teen), there should be some consistency underlying their ever-evolving personal domain. For instance, a bedroom can be multi-functional, but it should be done so consciously. Ideally you want the ability to shift the room from one activity (such as playing) to a different activity (such as studying), and still have it focused around, and conducive to, receiving the best possible sleep. “It may sound complicated, but it’s not. It’s all in how you set up the space…” say the experts at Feng Shui Resource, which is a comprehensive design team that ‘consciously’ combines interior design, feng shui, artwork/symbolism with environmental healing. Their emphasis is on creating healthy, supportive living and working spaces. With this in mind, here are eight tips from the San Diego-based company on how you can begin to create the most beneficial bedroom you can for your child/children.
Choose a wall color that’s neutral. This doesn’t necessarily mean off-white but, rather, a soft, calm shade that will offer you more options with your other accessories. Choose a color that doesn’t take away from the room around it but, rather, brings a sense of stability to it. The same is true of flooring. Avoid carpets/rugs with bright colors or patterns that demand attention and go for something subtle. You can always bring in ‘pizzazz’, through accessories like lighting, pillows, and other personal belongings. The ‘foundation’ of a room – wall color, flooring, window treatments and bedding – anchor the room, offering a more nurturing and grounding energy, which is essential to feeling secure.
Never position your child under anything ‘heavy.’ Although this may sound like common sense, it would include: being situated under such things as lighting fixtures, fans, structural beams, being located beneath the downward slope of a ceiling, under shelving or artwork, or sleeping on the lower bed of a bunk bed. Likewise, it is not advisable to have the child sleep on the top bunk and use the area below as a play or study area.
Avoid having mirrored closet doors in the bedroom. Mirrors can be wonderful additions to a house, but just not in your child’s room. Yes they bring in extra light and give the sense of more space but, unfortunately, both of these are counter-productive to creating a nesty, safe-feeling environment. Sadly, many young children are misdiagnosed as being hyperactive when in reality they are just being over-stimulated by the environment around them and, in particular, the loud colors, action figures, themes and patterns, which often are duplicated by mirrors, creating twice the problem. Ideally you want to create a space that will allow your child to feel balanced and calm, and better able to function whether it’s during their regular daily activities or while sleeping. Removing or covering mirrored doors will greatly assist in this. “There was an immediate difference,” says Diane Friedman, mother of two. “Their rooms feel much better … calmer, less chaotic.”
Have supportive lighting that you can change. Whether it’s using several different lamps that offer you varying levels of illumination, or merely installing a dimmer-switch, select lighting that has reading and homework in mind, as well as the ability to transition the feeling of the room around bed time. (This can be especially effective for babies and toddlers... Gradually decrease the amount of light, thereby gently and naturally lulling her into a state of sleep.)
Tip 5: Organized Entertainment
For younger children, storage for toys, games and supplies in closed cupboards, closets or containers not only helps to reduce clutter within a space, but it also instills in your child how to pick up after herself and be organized. Additionally, it allows your child the freedom to express herself during the day by surrounding herself with things she loves, then shift the space to be more aligned to quiet time, simply by stowing busy-items away.
For older children, create the ability to hide their ‘toys’ (computers, televisions, stereos) behind the closed doors of an armoire or other storage unit. This is especially helpful when you’re trying to create a space that’s conducive to reading, studying, resting, or inner contemplation. For both younger and older children, do not store things behind doors or under the bed/crib.
Tip 6: Reducing Electromagnetic Fields
Be mindful of how close your child’s bed is to walls that contain internal wiring, wall outlets, electronic equipment such as baby monitors, as well as cords from nearby lighting. To reduce the effects of electromagnetic radiation, create a safe distance of 18 inches to 3 feet between your child and the source of the electromagnetic fields. Monitor outside as well to make sure there aren’t any power transformers nearby. If so, have the levels of EMF checked inside and outside of your home.
Tip 7: Direction of Sleep
If your child doesn’t sleep well, is constantly shifting or trying to reposition herself while in bed, or getting in the habit of sleeping in your bed, consider moving her bed to another area within the room. Kids are very instinctive, so if they are drawn to a specific direction (say, their head pointing to the Northeast as opposed to the North), honor it. It is also not recommended to have the bed in direct alignment with the door.
Also, be mindful that the head of their bed does not share a wall with a bathroom and, in particular, a commode. If your child’s room has an attached bathroom, keep the door closed at night. If there isn’t a door separating the two rooms, create one by installing a screen, curtain, or door to symbolically separate the two areas.
Tip 8: Privacy & Comfort
Remember that your child’s room is her sacred space (cave, retreat, or escape). It is, after all, her only private space within the entire household. Why not create a place of comfort and safety, a place she can feel secure in life? The ideal situation is to keep things simple, uncluttered, and organized, (which you can teach by example). Whenever possible, select furniture with soft, rounded edges. Be mindful that there aren’t any sharp corners (from protruding walls or furniture) directed at her while she is sleeping.
Feng Shui Fundamentals of Healthy Bedroom for Kids
Attention to these Feng Shui fundamentals will ensure that the energy within your child’s bedroom is flowing, healthy and supportive, which leads to a happier, healthier childhood.
