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Ashland - Local Town Pages

Turning a Kid’s Room Into a Teen’s Room

John Szolomayer

Time flies. One day, you are giving birth to your child, and the next time you blink, your baby has grown up right before your very eyes. But how do you know when it is time to trade the kid-like theme of his or her bedroom for something far more suitable for someone entering their teen years? 
It all starts with asking your child whether they are ready to upgrade their childhood bedroom. From there, you can start making changes and creating a bedroom that is fit for a teen, as long as you have your child’s permission. Keep reading for a few tips on how to transform a kid’s playful bedroom into a teenager’s cool hangout space. 
Get their input - The first step in making a successful conversion from a child’s room to a teen’s room is to ask for input directly from your kid. As your child gets older, he or she will prefer to have far more autonomy over their belongings, including their room. Plus, being involved in decisions about their own lives will help them become more self-assured and vocal about what they want in life. 
It’s highly likely you made all the interior design decisions for them as a child, but now that they are getting older, it’s important to let them be involved in the process of putting together their more mature, teenage-inspired room. Doing so will allow them to express where they are now and give them a sense of freedom and growth. 
Upgrade the décor - After consulting your child and getting a feel for what he or she envisions for the room, you can start removing anything that has a far-too-youthful vibe for a teenager. Change the art, switch up the color scheme and replace furnishings that are no longer a good fit for your child’s age range, such as a juvenile-looking lamp or toys made for children. 
But don’t feel like you have to throw out everything that no longer suits your child’s needs. Instead of donating or recycling anything you plan to remove from your child’s room, consider repurposing the items instead. For example, certain furniture pieces can be converted into something more suitable for an older child. Sometimes, all it takes is a little bit of paint and imagination. 
Create a study space - As your child enters high school and makes the transition to a teenager, he or she will start to take on more academic responsibilities, especially as they reach the age when it’s time for college preparation. By creating a study space for your child, you’ll be providing them with a mindset that is conducive to studying and doing well in school — and setting them up for success. You can think of it as being similar to designing a work-from-home space because that’s basically what a teen’s room is! Make sure your child’s new room is equipped with an area for writing, reading and using a computer. 
Add plenty of storage - There may not be a single parent out there who doesn’t get frustrated every now and again by the mess in their teen’s room. Luckily, there are ways to combat the disarray. The best way to mitigate this is by providing enough storage in your child’s room, which will make it easier for them to return their belongings to their proper places.  A great option in terms of storage space is a closet organizing system for your teen’s clothes. Think about installing shelves for their books or board games. Use closed storage for anything your child might want to keep out of sight. The list of storage ideas goes on and on, but it all comes down to helping your child stay organized.  
Information provided by John Szolomayer, RE/MAX Executive Realty. For more information, John Szolomayer can be reached at 508-259-4788 or JohnSzolomayer.com
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