Bedroom Feng Shui for children
Most parents and other guardians of children want to do their very best to facilitate maximum growth, comfort and happiness for their young charges. Ample rest is important for a child’s overall health and is especially important for a developing brain. These feng shui tips can help in that effort.
The location of a child’s bedroom within the home is very important. The farther back and higher up the location of a room in a building, the more secure and controlling the person occupying the room is. This is called “commanding position”. While we want our children to feel secure, they must not be in control of the family. That is the proper role of the responsible adult/s in charge.
So if, for example, the master bedroom is on the ground floor with the children upstairs, or if the child’s bedroom is farther back in the house than the parents’, we have an imbalance in power.
To rectify this imbalance, it is necessary to put a representation of the adults’ presence and energy in the commanding position of the house. One family who had finished the attic to be a playroom, painted hand prints of the whole family on the walls with those of the children below those of the parents, thus putting the parent’s energy highest in the home.
Some have chosen to display a treasured collection, toy or trophy from their own childhood in their child’s room. A young child will likely feel secure with a picture of the parent/s on the back wall of their room. You might have to hide that picture behind a poster on the wall of a teen’s room in order to assert your proper authority.
The location of the bed within the room is also of importance. You want the child to be able to see the door while in bed but not be directly across from the door within the stream of chi (energy) flowing in. It is ideal for the bed to be as far from the door as possible. The bed should not be positioned under the short part of a slanted ceiling as this compresses and stunts their chi. For the same reason, bunk beds are not recommended. It is best if the head of the bed is not right next to a window. If it must be in that position, hang a multifaceted spherical feng shui crystal in the window to circulate and diffuse the chi coming in. A solid wall behind the head of the bed provides a strong sense of support and protection.
It is best if there is nothing underneath the bed to inhibit the flow of nourishing energy. Under bed storage is not desirable. It is tempting for some children to shove things under their bed when hurriedly cleaning their room ( a trick I employed when trying to convince my mom that I had tidied up), but permanent storage is discouraged. Chi can circulate best if the bed is not pushed up against the wall, but often this is not possible because of space considerations. Against a wall is okay if the bed is otherwise positioned correctly.
Sleep studies are showing that the light from computer, tablet, phone and TV screens interferes with the body being able go to sleep. The current recommendation is to discontinue use of all screens for at least an hour before bedtime. We have found that many children are sensitive to the electromagnetic fields in their bedrooms, especially if there are electronics close to the bed. Televisions are especially problematic. We have consulted with families that have a child who awakens with nightmares regularly at a certain time only to find that the television station last watched is playing a horror film or re-runs of “X-Files” or “Twilight Zone” at that hour. If you must leave the TV in the child’s room, unplug it and drape something over it at night.
Color is also important in a child’s room. Pink is a very soothing color and used to be considered a boy’s color. Bubblegum pink is used in some prisons and holding rooms to calm the inhabitants. My guess is that none of you are going to paint a boy’s room pink, so what else is good? Green is associated with growth, so almost any shade of green will do. Any skin tone is also very soothing and reassuring, so any of those, not necessarily even yours, are good. Ideally you will use a color in the room that appeals to your child.
When we lay the bagua (energy map) over a room, the area commonly called Knowledge and having to do with all learning including inner knowledge as well, is located to the left front of the base line established by the door to the room. This is a good area for the child’s study desk, a bookcase or any other symbol of learning or knowledge. Even hanging a citation for achievement in school, scouting or church reinforces the energy of this area and encourages further growth.
Speaking of the bagua, if a child’s bedroom is outside of the energy map of the home, (it is in a section of the home that juts out in front of the front door of the house) they will feel disconnected from the family. This circumstance is very disconcerting to a young child as on some level they will feel that they do not belong to the family.
A disconnected bedroom might work well for an older teen or young person returning home after college as they are in the process of disconnecting from the family to establish their independence. But we have seen a case in which a teen was too disconnected from the family, getting into all kinds of trouble and disregarding guidance from the parents. So caution is advised. There is a way to use mirrors to draw the energy of the room into the home, a cure that is best implemented by a knowledgeable feng shui consultant.
If any bedroom is positioned over a garage, there will be shifting energy beneath. Because it is especially important that children have a firm foundation for optimal growth and development, this needs to be addressed. Planting vines on the outside walls of the room that climb up and attach the room to the ground is one way to ameliorate this situation.
One could paint a tree on the wall of the garage with the branches reaching up and supporting the floor of the room and a sturdy trunk planted in the ground. One client connected the upstairs bedroom this way and even had leaves and apples on the painted tree. Another idea is use heavy objects to weight down and ground the room. This could be heavy furniture, a statue or even big rocks for the child interested in geology.
Another problem with a bedroom over a garage is that we often store toxic substances there such as garden chemicals and paints and solvents. Make sure these are well sealed and in a place where only adults can access them. Also please be aware of of moving the car out of the garage quickly after starting so as to minimize exhaust fumes.
These are some of the most important feng shui tips for a child’s bedroom. Attention to these tips will help you maximize the safety, comfort and positive growth of your children.
For more information visit www.fengshuiasheville.com.