Make Your Home Ready For Your New Adopted Child: Choosing Room Themes
You can barely contain your excitement! You have a new child on the way!
The downside? You have to wait, either to travel, or for the child’s adoption paperwork to be processed and finalized.
So, what do you do? A great way to pass the time and prepare to welcome the new addition to your family is to create and decorate their room. It will show how loved and welcome they are to their new family, making them feel better in their new home. Just remember that when choosing a theme, you should decorate according to the adopted child’s age.
Infants and Toddlers
For infants and toddlers, the entire room can be designed and completed before their arrival. Choosing a fun theme that is age appropriate would work well. Keep in mind to keep the room safe and child-friendly, so that they will not hurt themselves.
Kids 4-8 Years Old
Often, bright colors are appropriate for this age group. If you have contact with your child or his or her current caregivers, ask for input on a favorite color, bedspread, and accessories. This helps the child feel included and personalizes their new room. It may be possible to help discuss this through the adoption agency and the child before he/she comes home.
Older Children
The older a child is, the more input they should have into the decorating process. You might wait for them to arrive in your home before picking out paint, furniture, and accessories. This is an opportunity to create their own personal space and express their personality.
Other Considerations
Remember if a child was in foster care or an orphanage in the past, they probably did not have much, if any, input in their living quarters. This may be the first personal expression they can claim, live in, and show off.
It may also be nice to include an item or memento that represents the child’s heritage, especially if it was an international adoption.
Adoption is exciting and definitely something to celebrate! By creating a personalized room for your new child, you will be showing how much you want your newly adopted child to feel included and part of the family and home. At the World Association for Children and Parents, we can help you with domestic or international adoptions, and can give you more ideas for creating the ideal space for your newly adopted child in your home.
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