top of page
Search
  • Writer's pictureJamie Bass

Feng Shui for Children



It feels safe to say that we as individuals are fairly consumed with looking at things from our own personal points of view. It can take a lot of effort and introspection to try to see a situation from someone else’s perspective. And, especially as we grow older, we become so focused on where we are in our current position that we can even forget how we felt about certain things when we were younger. Our perspective changes as we age, and our increased experience and wisdom make it harder for us to remember what it was like to be a kid.


But because of their developing brains, smaller bodies, and decreased levels of experience with the world, children need special consideration and attention. From the way that they process information to the size of their hands, it’s clearer to us now more than ever that kids are vastly different from adults and need things tailored to fit them in their particular station in life. And, of course, this applies to feng shui.


Children Need Feng Shui, Too


Children are incredibly sensitive. They effortlessly pick up on the energy of the people they’re around, they can feel words and emotions more intensely, and they are just as (if not more so) impacted by their spaces as we are.


Feng shui can and should absolutely be applied to children’s playrooms and bedrooms, just as we would apply it to any other area of our homes. A few children-specific feng shui remedies that are almost universally endorsed include keeping clutter to a minimum, letting fresh air into their rooms, using color and furniture intentionally to support a child’s growth and development, and involving the child in the decoration and design of their room.


But children’s needs for feng shui can be different than those for adults. Children don’t necessarily have the language to express that they want their room to be a safe space for them to decompress and recharge, that clutter in their room makes them feel overwhelmed, or that the light blue color on their walls helps them fall asleep at night because they feel calm and serene. Instead, children may say that they have a hard time finding their favorite toy in their closet, that they’re afraid of monsters under the bed, that they don't like the color of their room, or that they don’t want to go to sleep at night because they feel alone.


The Psychological and Emotional Support Offered by Feng Shui


The best thing about feng shui is that it not only helps our physical spaces to look and feel better, but it can help to ease our minds and provide support on an emotional and psychological level. And for children, this is often the goal.


This can play out in many different ways. Let’s take the last example that's listed above: a child doesn’t want to go to sleep at night because they feel alone. This is a common issue that children and parents alike struggle with. It may be because the parents’ bedroom is located on the other side of the house (or on another floor) from the children’s bedroom. Or, a child may just feel isolated because they are in one room and their parents are in a separate room, even if the rooms are next to each other or down the hall. Either way, the child doesn’t like it and feels removed from the parents, causing them to sneak into the parents’ room at night or throw a tantrum when it’s time to go to sleep in an effort to delay bedtime. This obviously is no picnic for the parents because they’re tired and want some personal space and alone time to rest and recharge. Keep in mind that the goal in a situation like this is to help the child still feel psychologically connected to their parents so that even though they aren’t in the same physical location, they still feel close to them and as though they’re not on their own or forgotten about.


So how can feng shui help?


  1. Add photographs of the child with her parents around the room to remind the child that she is not alone and that her parents are always with her and love her.

  2. Rig up a string telephone from the parents’ room to the child’s room so that when the child is feeling lonely or sad, she can “call” her parents on the string telephone. This will make them feel more accessible and not as far away and also help the child feel less alone: her parents are just a call away.

  3. Give the child a stuffed animal that will serve as the parents’ guardian at night, looking out for and protecting the child and giving her love. When the parents can’t be with the child, the stuffed animal can serve as their surrogate. The child can cuddle the stuffed animal if she’s lonely and feel safe, as if she’s with her parents.

  4. Set up the child’s room in the same way that the parents’ room is laid out to demonstrate continuity between the two rooms. Or, buy the child the same blanket or sheets that the parents have to show that they (and the rooms) are connected.


These small and easy changes can help a child feel much more relaxed about bedtime and the fact that they're in a separate room from their parents. And, contrary to popular belief, feng shui can be applied in a way that doesn't involve rearranging furniture or relocating rooms - often, it’s the small fixes that are the most impactful, especially for children who can be easily overwhelmed with too much change. In this way, feng shui can help create and maintain a happy, loving, supportive environment for children who are in a time of life that can be confusing, joyful, frustrating, and scary, all at once.

bottom of page