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Ideas For Daughter's Room - positive post

steppingovertheedge
steppingovertheedge
HI all,

This is slightly off-topic but some of you know my story and I figured I would solicit some input. Plus this is at least a positive-themed post.

I will be moving in 1.5 weeks or so as part of the divorce process and getting away from stbx. I have 50% custody of my daughter. I want to be sure she feels happy and excited about being in our new place together. I have already bought her a "day bed" with trundle pull-out bed (for friend sleepovers) that she is excited about. And I told her we can paint her new room a nice muted shade of purple.

I am trying to think of some other things to make her new room "special" and am drawing a blank tonight. We like to make forts, so I was thinking it would be nice to try to rig up some sort of canopy of sheets over her bed so it is like a big fort. Not sure how to do it, but I could improvise I guess.

Does anyone have any thoughts or suggestions on making a new place special for an 8-year-old girl?
charliegirl29
charliegirl29
I don't know but maybe ask her what she would like in her room and maybe have her draw it :-).
ALD13072
ALD13072
I think this is great what you are doing for your daughter. I think it is important that you do the room project together. She can help with rolling the paint, etc.

Pinterest is a great place to get ideas and there are lots of projects you could do together. You may not have heard of Pinterest (us girls love it :) ) but it is a website and they also have an app available.

Also tap into what your daughter likes. Is she a girly girl? Does she like art projects?

I don't have children but I know if it was me I would love a fort!
tailspin916
tailspin916
Sad to say, but my daughter was only 2, turning 3 when my first wife and I divorced. What I did was, I took her to Ikea (not sure if there's one in your area) and went to the kids section and had her pick out: type of bed style, bed sheets, small bedroom furnishings, drapes and decorations. Being 3 none of the items she picked matched or made sense, but she got to decide what went in her room and she was happy and felt a sense of accomplishment.
Now she's 16... Time flies, my friend, it really does.
mynewnormal
mynewnormal
thats one of the first things I did too when we moved into our new apartment.. was get the kids rooms feeling like home to them, my kids love posters.. my daughters a huge frozen fan, and of course monster high :)

I agree, make it a daddy daughter day and find some fun decor for her new place :) fluffy pillows, posters, maybe a bling clock on the wall :) make it a place she'll love to be, :)
Missy73
Missy73
Have you considered a bed tent? My sister had one growing up because she wanted the effect of camping but she didn't want to go.outside. You might be able to find one that can serve as your fort. You can also try wall decals. Money re removable and your daughter can change the theme as she gets older.
smilelikeyoumeanit
smilelikeyoumeanit
A truly heartwarming post. Well done you on putting your focus on your daughter's happiness & well-being during this time.

Pinterest is great. You just need to search 'girls bedroom ideas' or 'canopy beds'. Also same sort of searches on google images can yield plenty of ideas & inspiration.

Keep us posted on the transformation!
11Christmases
11Christmases
I am going through the same thing with my 8-year-old. She feels she has outgrown her Hello Kitty-themed room. We first looked online at comforter sets. I will base the color and theme of the room on whatever we pick. I am taking my time, because she changes her mind often and I don't want to have to do this again for a few years. One thing that both of my kids seem to like, is when I take photos of them with their friends. First day of school shots, bus stop shots, any time I'm there, I try to get a picture. For my daughter, I make prints and she can mount them around the room any way she likes.
happymama2j
happymama2j
I would agree that it will largely depend on what she likes. But a few things come to mind:

They sell blackboard paint, you could tape off an area to paint her a chalkboard, that's sort of fun for some kids. Corkboards and white boards are often a fun idea too.

Around that age, my parents bought me a really cute vanity dresser, with a large attached mirror, drawers, and a seat. That lasted me a long time; at her age I would sit there to fix my hair, and as I got older I used it for makeup too, all my friends were envious.

I'd agree that you could look on Pinterest, maybe even look on there together with her and let her show you some things she likes
sja
sja
I don't have any other suggestions other than what those have posted, but I think definitely make it a daddy/daughter day! That would be so much fun!

Come to think of it, does your daughter like flowers? This would be a great time of year to get her some potted plants for her room, and teach her the responsibility of watering them, and may even fester a green thumb...
steppingovertheedge
steppingovertheedge
Great ideas everyone, thanks! I will get on Pinterest (first time for everything!) and look around also. I'll probably make a list of ideas and run them by her at some point.
strongandsilent
strongandsilent
She will love planning it with you. A great memory for the two of you.
kristinch1
kristinch1
glow stars on the ceiling. mosquito netting hanging over her bed. new curtains.
whatjusthappenedhere
whatjusthappenedhere
There's a meme on the interwebs that says Pinterest is a conspiracy by men to get women excited about cooking, cleaning, and working out!

When my stepdaughters were that age, they liked the decals that you can peel off the walls. We also got some Chinese lanterns to hang in a corner of their room and they picked the colors.

It's awesome you are doing this with her. I bet she will feel very special and mature. Just be open to her creativity - they can come up with some different things at that age!