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Allowing Your Teen to Decorate Their Room

I have been putting this off for years, but I finally let my daughter decorate her room. I was afraid to give her the reigns earlier because her taste has always been a bit quirky and off center. Of course this has never changed, but I found an approach that would allow her to create a room she likes while not making me want to nail her door shut.

What we finally did was allow her to make a design plan. This took many trips to the hardware store gather paint samples and cutting up squares and comparing different color combinations. She hemmed. She hawed. She changed her mind a dozen times. In the end the design plan she came up with as still a bit frightening, but also very classy and a whole lot more subdued that I had ever imagined.

So if you are afraid of letting your teenager decorate their own room, don’t be. Here are some steps you can follow that will help them create a room that they can live in and you can live with.

1. Have them make a design plan. It should include paint colors and where each paint color will go. (Teens don’t believe in solid colored walls anymore). It should also have bedding ideas and pictures of other things they will need (with the price). This can take a while and can also work as a stalling technique.

2. Go over the plan making suggestions, and letting them know what is in budget and what is going overboard in price and taste. Show them some pictures that you think they might like to influence their design plan a little.

3. Have them finalize the plan deciding what items they need to finish the room, and possibly listing a few item they could put on a wish list to get later.

4. Take them to the store to purchase supplies to paint and decorate the room.

5. Help them paint the room taking over if necessary if their painting and finishing skill set it low. Get a much done as quickly as possible trying to complete the project in a single weekend.

6. Organize the room according to plan and congratulate you and them on a job well done.

If you liked this you should also read my blogs at the homeschool blog, the parents blog, and the frugal blog. You can read my recent posts here.