If you have a child, there’s a good chance that they are going to find some way to get into your DIY projects. It doesn’t matter what you’re doing – painting, gardening, or even wallpapering – if there is something for them to do and they have the opportunity, they are going to jump at it. And that’s okay! In fact, we encourage it!
We like to think of our kids as little helpers and if they want to help out with something we’re doing around the house, then we want to make sure that they can do so safely. So when we were doing our latest peelable Wallpaper project, we set up an area where our son could help us out as well. So how do you get your older children to help? There are several ways that you can get the kid involved during the whole project of decorating the baby's nursery.
Let the kid choose the colors
The first way to get the older child involved is to let them pick out the colors that they want. This is a great way to involve the kid in the project because they get a say in what color goes where. If you're painting or creating a border, let them choose what colors they want to use. This can also be useful if you're doing crafts and want them to choose which supplies go where.
If the child is able to walk and talk, they will most likely have a color or two that they want to use. So let them go ahead and pick whatever colors they want. Don't worry if you like one color better than the other! Just let the kid go with it and see what happens.
Let the kid choose the designs and patterns
You also have to let the kid decide the type of patterns and wallpaper designs they want for the room. This is where you have to be careful because some kids can get carried away with the choices. They may want a crazy number of patterns or designs on the wall so here, you have to exercise some control and make sure that they are staying within reason.
Giving them creative freedom is what this is all about and most of the time, it only comes with a price – Re-arranging the entire room. Once the decision has been made, let your child run around creating their bedroom wonderland of fun.
Ignore the colors and find a way to incorporate them
Even if you aren't a fan of their choices, pretend that you are because it's not their room. They may love bright pink while you preferred soft green, but this is your new baby’s room so try to put some of your own stuff away and ignore your own favorite colors. In the end, you will be glad that you did. Not only does your child get to be involved in their sibling's room, but it will also make them feel included.
Let them decide and display their favorite color
If you aren't big on using their color choices, then find another way that your child can have a say in what goes on the walls. If you have a border, let them decide how it is placed so that each section has the same amount of each color. Or if you're hanging something from the ceiling or just putting something on a shelf, let them choose where or how it is placed.
If there are three different kids in the house (like our family) then give each one of them their own color and let them place something of that color wherever they want to. Let them know what they need to do and set some guidelines like "you can only put this thing up here" but let them place things where they please.
Let the kids pick out the paint or craft supplies
Next, let them have a say in what paints or craft supplies you use. Whether it be paint, glitter, boy nursery wallpaper, stickers or even ribbon, let them choose what they want to use to decorate the baby's room. This will get them involved and also give them a sense of ownership over their sibling's room.
Plus, if you want to add some owls to the walls, then your kids will love painting little owls all over because that's just a really fun thing for kids to do! Everyone loves owls! So don't worry about how messy it gets and let your kid go crazy with paint!
Let their creativity flow
An additional thing you can do is to leave room for your kid’s creativity to flow. Let them do whatever they want in the baby’s room, whether it be painting at their own pace or putting up things that they want. This will give them an opportunity to be creative and also allow you to help out in other ways.
Let them help!
The last thing you can do is let your child help with the project. Give them some time to put something on the wall, or pick something up for you if you're busy doing something else. Kids love helping mom and dad out so don't be afraid to let them get involved! If a child can walk and talk, there's no reason that they have to stay outside of the nursery while mom and dad work their magic.
Conclusion
So there you have it – how to get your older child involved with decorating the baby's nursery. Let them pick their own colors and use whatever supplies they like. Let them choose what their favorite colors will be by picking them out in an area of the home where there isn't a lot of pony for them to choose from. Don't mind what the colors are and allow your child to put whatever they want wherever they want it on the walls. And if you have time, let your kid paint little owls all over the room because that's just too much fun!
