Night-Night, Sleep Tight: Why A New Bedroom Is A Gift For Even The Hard-To-Please Teen

People can be so hard to please these days, can’t they? There are sites all over the internet dedicated to customer service nightmares. There are even sites for customer service workers who have had negative experiences with customers. The long and short of it is, as a society, we are less likely than ever to put up with something less than perfection.

 

Parents of teenage children will know exactly how hard it can be. Even something as simple as finding out what they want for their birthday can be like pulling teeth. During your teenage years is when you are most likely to say something like “I don’t really care, it’s just my birthday. Why does it matter?”. It is also the time you’re most likely to throw a fit if your birthday present is less than perfect. It’s a tricky time.

 

The truth of the matter is that teenagers these days, many of whom have part-time jobs, have most of the gadgets and games they want. If you try to surprise them with a new phone, you may find they already have an even newer model. Picking out a video game is tricky if you yourself aren’t a gamer. But one thing they may not think of, and will love, is a bedroom makeover.

Step #1: Get Them On Board

 

To give your kids the gift of a new bedroom, you need to let them know you’re doing it. This is not a “surprise gift” situation. Why not? Well, think of when you were a teenager. Did you want anyone in your room uninvited? It was where all your secrets were.

 

Now remember the last time you renovated a room. Could you do anything without a lot of upheaval? Bits of paper came out of nowhere, old items you thought were gone forever resurfaced. Imagine that happening, behind your back, in your teenage bedroom.

 

Okay? Suitably horrified? Let’s move on.

 

Step #2: Pick A Bed

 

If your teenager has been sleeping in the same bed since they were not a teenager, the chances are that their needs have changed. The bed will likely need to be longer and stronger, and not have Dora The Explorer featured so prominently.

 

They’ll also need a new mattress. You may choose to pick up a memory foam one, but ask them first – do so before you decide on a model. They’ll want to have input, as this is about their comfort.

 

Step #3: Pick An Aesthetic

 

When you renovate a bedroom, you’re looking at walls, carpets, bed and furniture as well as any appliances. Some or all of these may be being replaced (depending on your budget). You can ask your son or daughter to pick out wallpaper or paint, or just get a general idea from them. Then, you pull it all together to look great (and maybe drop in a few little surprises, like a gift card in their bedside table drawer).

 

Of course, one other key reason to get them on board, as at Step #1, is that they may have very strict instructions on what needs to be done. Don’t go picking out posters, for example, based on music you heard them listening to last month. You may end up making the worst parental faux pas imaginable.