Children’s furniture is not easy for adults to select, and when choosing your kids furniture it is important to get their input. If you expect them to live with it for a few years, then at least allow them to have some say in what you buy for them. Even if they can’t get exactly what they want, at least they will have had some input.
Their age will have a lot to do with it of course, and while you could certainly get away with choosing children’s furniture for your 3-year old, you would never get away with it for your teenage daughter! In between 3 and 13 – well, it’s up to you, but you would be well advised to get them involved from 7 years old at the latest – perhaps earlier depending on their maturity.
What you should keep in mind is that once you let them have a say in their furniture, they will also want to choose their clothes, and their new-found freedom of choice might even extend to having Big Macs or KFC every day rather than ‘sensible’ food! So be tactful, and explain that they are having a say, but you will make the final choice (ho-ho!).
So maybe you should forget that and just make the choice – then ask your kids for their approval. That’s probably the least stressful way for you to choose your children’s furniture. That agreed, what options do you have with kids furniture. What can you offer them that they will accept and think you are the best parent in the world?
Children’s Furniture: The Problems
We will generally be talking bedroom furniture here, although they might want their own chair or small sofa in the living room. However, focus on the bedroom and worry about the rest later. Kids need a lot of storage space, and that’s the first argument they will offer for having an untidy room – “I have nowhere to put things. You never get me new furniture where I can put my stuff!”
Your counter-argument: “OK, if I get you new furniture will keep your room tidy?”
“Yes mum! (or dad)” – Many parents are so naïve as to believe that! Nevertheless, you have driven a bargain and that’s the first step. The next is to decide what children’s furniture to purchase.
You want: Something functional, sensible and strong that will resist children and give them plenty storage space.
They want: Something funky that costs a lot of money so they can boast to their friends, and also that enables them to have sleepovers.
What is available to you that keeps both ends of this spectrum happy? Here are some ideas on which both of you might be able agree.