Setting Up A Kid’s Bedroom

When we’re expecting a new baby, we often spend a lot of time planning out the nursery and even decorating it – especially for a first

baby. 

However, as you’ve probably noticed by now, they grow up so

fast and the things that suited the needs of a baby probably don’t

suit the needs of a preschool child as well.

And if you’re like most parents, life was probably a bit too hectic

through the toddler years to give much thought to room design and

layout in your child’s bedroom, and the room probably just evolved around your child. 

However, as the weather changes and we go into a new season

that’s likely to bring a bit of rain along, this can be a good time of

year to re-evaluate how you organise your home, and one

room – a child’s bedroom – is a good project that isn’t too

overwhelming.

Of course, if you have moved house recently or are just about

to, you probably have the opportunity to think about where your child is at now and what he

or she needs.

So let’s dive on in and get started…

The bed is the most important part of the bedroom for obvious

reasons.

It’s so much easier to get out of bed and go to the loo in the

middle of the night if you don’t have to climb over high sides. 

A lot of preschool children still wet the bed at night – they say 1 in

500 children don’t outgrow it until their teens – so position the bed so

you can get to both sides reasonably easily to tuck sheets

and blankets in.

Even with overnight nappies, you will still be changing sheets more frequently than otherwise, so you

may as well make this chore easier.

Clothes storage. 

One of the self-care things we encourage through

Montessori education is getting dressed.

This means that you need to provide some easy-access storage

for your child so he or she can choose clothes quickly and easily

in the mornings without scrambling around with high rails

in wardrobes or high shelves.

While children are small, the clothes they need can fit easily into the drawers in one of these dressers, with little need for any

other storage space. 

Put good clothes that you don’t want worn daily on hangers in the

wardrobe.

Toy storage

Don’t go for the traditional toybox. These get so muddled and

disorganised, and they can be a bit of a hazard with that lid coming

down on small fingers.

Go for something involving pigeonholes or cubbyholes with

lots of smallish compartments that can fit one set of toys in each

compartment. Stacking boxes also work.

A place to sit. 

Where else are you going to sit for the bedtime story?  Try a comfy

chair or maybe a blanket box that stores things that aren’t in

everyday use.

A lamp.  

Having the lighting low in the evening helps soothe children and

get them ready for sleep. Place the lamp by the chair to get good

lighting for bedtime stories.

Curtains

A must, as rooms need to be dimly lit at night for good sleep.

Opening the curtains in the morning and closing them at night

make a sort of ritual pattern to mark the start and end of the day.

www.fridayschildmontessori.com