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Adapting Your Teen's Bedroom To Their Growing Needs

Teen's Bedroom

When you’re furnishing your child’s room, it’s always important to consider the needs of the child, in particular. Many of these needs are going to change as they get older. As they age out of the single digits and get closer to their teenage years, you may not need to worry about space for toys quite as much as you do room for them to study. As such, we’ll take a closer look at the needs of a teenager and how you can ensure that their room will make them feel at home.

Make sure that they have a space for study

One of the most important changes in your teenager’s life is, of course, the fact that they’re going to be spending a lot more time and energy on their studies. As such, you want to make sure that their room allows for it by giving them a distinct and purpose-designed place to do just that. A decent desk, a comfortable and ergonomic chair, and a space that feels separate from the distractions of the rest of the room could be just what they need. However, some parents would argue that having the study room and the bedroom be the same thing could lessen the effectiveness of either function and that you might be better off giving them use of the home office or creating a study space outside the bedroom.

Consider the need for privacy

Whether it’s for studying or otherwise, your teenager is going to want a lot more privacy. It’s only natural to not want to share as much of your life with your parents when your life is getting more emotionally complex. You may want to have a talk about boundaries of privacy within the home. Not every parent is willing to give their teen the option to lock the door, but there has to be some talk about where their need for privacy also meets your need to be informed about their life. You may not need to make too many changes to the room itself to offer them privacy, but you might want to establish some boundaries, both for them and for yourself.

Is there room for seating?

The bedroom can become a much more social place as your kids get older. They might not spend as much time playing outside with their friends, but they are more likely to spend hours hanging out in their room with them. To that end, you might want to look at making some room for seating, even something as informal and space-saving as some bean bags can make it a lot easier for them to host some friends over. Soft rugs for the floor (and those who are inclined to sit on it) as well as open wall space for them to sit against can make the bedroom a much more comfortable place to socialize and hang out in peace.

They’re going to need more open storage

As your teen grows, they are going to manifest more of their identity and may want to start displaying it for the world to see. They may start to earn more trophies from school or extra-curricular activities they want to show, or they have photos they have taken with friends that they want to be able to see at a glance. As such, a little more display space for your teen, such as using some reclaimed shelving wood to build a few shelves onto the walls can help them meet this need. You are going to want to give your teen a lot more control over how they decorate their own space as they get older so they have room to explore and express that identity.

Consider adding a cork wall

Just as your child is spending more time studying (or at least should be), they might also be getting a lot more organized with how they spend their time, in general. They may have plans, wants, and goals that they’re aiming for and one of the things that can be great for organizing those plans and helping them become a much more well-put-together individual is to give them some space to visualize and plot out their needs. A place to hang a corkboard on a wall can be great for this. Or you can unleash a little creativity and hang up an entire cork wall. It can also be a great place for them to spontaneously hang photos, art, or anything else that they feel expresses themselves in their room.

They’ll appreciate blackout blinds

Teenagers need sleep. Adults routinely underestimate just how much sleep teenagers need. When they’re in bed napping all day, it’s not out of laziness, it’s because their body is rapidly growing and it’s legitimately exhausting. As such, aside from a comfy bed, you want to make sure that your teen finds it easy to get the shut-eye they need when they need it. Being able to close off the outside world can do a lot of good in that regard. Perhaps the best way to do that is with the help of blackout blinds. As the name implies, these blinds are designed to block out the sun completely, meaning that your teen can have their weekend lie-in or grab a midday nap when they need it.

Room for clothes

Just as your teen is going to want to better express themselves through their room’s decor, they’re going to want to do much the same with their fashion choices, as well. To that end, you should make sure that you have plenty of space for them to store and display their clothes. Open storage is a lot more convenient and, without it, you may well see your teens using the floor as a makeshift display for their wardrobe. Not the most flattering look, by any means.

Of course, alongside the tips above, you should make sure that you actually ask your teen what they need from their bedroom. They may well have their own ideas, even if not all of them are totally practical.