Supporting the Eagles the best way we know how
With the West Coast Eagles about to appear in their seventh AFL Grand Final we thought it was a great opportunity to throw our support behind the big birds and whip up something a little special.
No one likes to admit it, but our children are growing up.
It can be tough to accept our sweet, chubby cheeked angels are about to step into the confusing world of being a teenager – but it’s our job as parents to make it as easy as possible for them.
Whilst they might ignore all of our advice, in fact most of the things we say – there are still things we can do to ensure that the time when they are distant from you is happier than they make it out to be.
Depressed teenagers who lock themselves away in their rooms and barely talk to us can worry us sometimes, but looking back on your own teenage years you’ll remember that as a parent you’re just “not cool” and that your child is doing just fine.
Encouraging your child to not spend their teenage years in their bedroom can be tough – after all sulking in their room is a teenager’s favourite pastime! However, making the bedroom as comfortable and unique to them as possible can help the difficult transition from childhood to adulthood and even encourage your child to invite friends round instead of always disappearing.
Many small changes can help a child start to feel like an adult as they make their way through puberty and becoming an adult. A simple switch from a single to a double bed can make a huge difference in transforming a child’s room into a teenagers. Getting rid of old stickers from the door, drawing on the wall and faded posters of child pop stars can immediately make a room feel cleaner, newer and more adult.
Getting rid of old books that have laid untouched on the shelf and putting toys into storage or donating to charity will rid the room of unnecessary clutter – whilst keeping a few of the most special toys and stuffed animals and placing them on a shelf will ensure your child knows they don’t need to grow up too quickly and keep the room young and fun.
As your child transitions into being a teenager their work load at school will steadily increase and over the next five or so years.
A desk and a chair gives your child somewhere to study, whilst injecting an “office” feel will again make the room feel more “grown up” to your child. Book shelves are also a great addition, they keep school books together and in great condition and can make great decoration when creatively installed.
Painting an area with blackboard paint can give your child a great place to visually revise, make study timetables and it also doubles up as a fun place for close friends to leave their mark on the room with messages and drawings.
Painting a room will totally transform it. Whether you only paint one wall or you choose to decorate the entire room, a splash of colour will create an entire new space and environment for your child to make their own.
Finishing touches are the most important part of decorating the bedroom. Bed covers, rugs and blinds or curtains should all be replaced with items of a similar colour scheme to give the room character, a fresh finish and a modern theme.
For girls; install white fairy lights around the ceiling – these can create a beautiful and peaceful ambiance in the room, whilst ensuring your little girl knows she will always be a princess. For boys; have a couple of posters framed of his favourite band or sports team – the same effect as posters but with a less tatty and more modern look.
Teaming Blinds and Curtains together can ensure optimum privacy, whilst keeping the room bright and fresh. Wooden Venetian Blinds look great teamed with Sheer Curtainsand offer a much more grown up feel to traditional children’s window coverings.