Kids, they grow up so fast, don’t they? One minute, you’re preparing the nursery for their arrival, and the next minute, they’re running circles around you. Decorating the baby’s nursery is a special moment, but at some stage, it’s time to move on to the next chapter of your child’s life – the transition to a more grown-up bedroom!
But where do you even begin to transform your child’s bedroom from a nursery to something a little more age-appropriate? Here are some ideas for the transition from nursery to big kid’s room to help you get started.
Image Credit: Unsplash under Creative Commons
Start with a new bed
You will soon know when it’s time for your little one to move into a bigger bed. Some of the signs include:
- They’ve reached around 18-24 months, or have grown past 90cm.
- They’re too active for their cot.
- If they can climb in and out of their cot, they’re likely ready for a bed.
The time to get a new bed will be here before you know it, so it’s worth thinking about this in advance. There are all kinds of children’s beds available, including single beds, bunk beds, high sleeper beds and more. Choosing a new bed gives you the option to think about the space you have and whether you can combine the bed with a desk space, a reading nook, or other features that your child will find useful.
Think about what they might need
When you first create a nursery, it’s quite easy to decide on what’s needed. Between a cot, a changing space and a little storage for clothes, a nursery can be quite prescriptive. As your little one grows up, however, they start to develop their own interests and personalities, meaning you’ll need something a little more bespoke for their needs.
Some of the things they may need include:
- A bed (see above!)
- A desk for schoolwork, crafting, etc.
- A chill-out space
- A chair/sofa
- Space for a sleepover
- Wardrobes
- Toybox
- Storage drawers
- Rug (ideal for protecting flooring!)
There are a lot of different elements your child may need, although some things could wait until they start nursery or school.
Make the most of available storage space
If you think a baby needs a lot of storage, wait until you’re dealing with an older child! Having a toy box, etc. is essential for storing all of your child’s things and keeping everything organised. If you can, try to have a space for everything – it will make it much easier to keep the room clean. If you can be disciplined, you can make sure your child only keeps what they need, instead of holding onto lots of clutter that accumulates over the years.
Some great ideas for children’s storage include baskets, shelving and even clothes racks. Pinterest is full of some great ideas, like these clever bedroom hacks:
IKEA is always great for storage hacks, and don’t forget to make the most of any space under the bed to give you a little more room to store clothes, toys, blankets, etc.
Keep the decor neutral for changing tastes
Most nurseries these days are kept pretty neutral, especially if you don’t know if you’re having a boy or a girl. Keeping the bedroom neutral is a good idea to keep as they get older, as you never know when their tastes might change! If you want to add some personalisation or colour, you could look at creating a feature wall that can be easily redecorated when needed, as well as using vinyl wall decals that are easy to apply and peel off. Mixing up your child’s bedding can also make a difference, bringing some life to a neutral room, while still being an attractive and fun environment for your child.
Putting artwork in frames is another great idea to help you include some of your child’s favourite things in their rooms. Explore some fun renovation ideas for kids’ rooms to help give you some inspiration.
Make it a comfortable sleeping environment
While a child’s bedroom should give them some space to enjoy some time by themselves, it is still primarily a place for sleep. Creating a comfortable sleeping environment for your child is a must, ensuring both they and you get the right amount of rest. Some tips to help you create a comfortable sleeping environment for your child include:
- Ensure the space is clutter-free. Encourage them to help tidy up before bed, so that there aren’t many distractions around to stop them from sleeping.
- Invest in black-out blinds to help them sleep throughout the night.
- Make sure the bedding is comfortable. Nothing beats sinking into a cosy new bed!
- Keep the temperature right so that they’re not too warm and not too cold when sleeping.
- Try to create a nighttime routine. Bath, brushing teeth and a book are some of the things you can include.
- Where you can, be strict about them staying in their own bed instead of trying to get into yours every night.
- Set a morning routine that will help them wake up easier, and without waking up too early.
- Create some rules that they can follow, including avoiding messy crafts in their room, no food in the bedroom, etc. This will not only help them take better care of their things, but it could also help you avoid some unnecessary cleaning too!
It can take some time to help your child settle into their new bedroom and new routine, but persevere and it will pay off. Bedtimes will soon become easier, and can even be fun for your child, while also helping you spend quality time together as a family.
Some additional tips for a smooth transition
Want some additional tips to help your child settle into their new bedroom? While you might experience some challenges at first, some of the following tips might help make things a little easier.
Give them some responsibility
Once your child becomes more active, they’re much more likely to make a mess around the house – especially their bedrooms! Giving your child some responsibility, such as putting all of their toys away before bed, and even getting them to help with small cleaning tasks like dusting, can help them learn to appreciate their environment and their things, so that they grow up taking care of things.
Track their progress and reward them for doing their chores. A week of a tidy bedroom before bed could earn them a weekend treat or a later bedtime, for example. Keep it fun to help instil some good habits.
Sell or donate unwanted items
Decorating a child’s bedroom can become pricey, but you can help fun the transformation by selling off the items you no longer need. There is a big market for second-hand baby items, especially on Facebook Marketplace and Vinted, so if your baby’s old nursery items are still in good condition, you could make some good money by selling them online.
Selling old children’s clothes is something you can do regularly as they grow out of them. When they’re in rapid growth stages, many items will only be worn a handful of times, making them easier to sell. You could also buy a lot of items in the same way, taking advantage of some second-hand deals that will help you save a lot of money.
Alternatively, consider donating some of your unwanted nursery items and children’s clothes. With so many families struggling at the moment, this could be a generous way to give back to those in need.
Get them involved in the decisions
Why not let your child get involved in making some of the decisions over their bedroom? From choosing paint colours to bedding sets, this can make the transition fun for your child. Seeing it all come together will be a special experience for them, and really help the room feel like ‘theirs.’ Just be warned: you may need to veto some out-of-the-box ideas, at least until they’re a little older!
Don’t put too much pressure on yourself
While this post has shared a lot of different ideas and inspiration for creating a child’s bedroom, it’s important to know that you don’t need an Instagram-worthy space to create something special for your child. Stick to a budget you can afford and work that’s in your capabilities. The bedroom can be worked on over time – as long as they have the essentials, that will be the most important thing. Don’t forget that children have incredible imaginations, and their bedrooms will be the perfect setting for their games and made-up adventures.
Watching your child grow up is magical, and while you might not be ready for them to no longer be a little baby, this next stage of their life will bring you a lot of fun and happy memories. This is the time when your child will start developing their personality and discovering their interests, and having a bedroom where they can explore that is important. Until then, enjoy watching them reach all of their milestones as they grow into the fantastic people they’re going to become.
