Aside from being aesthetically pleasing, feng shui is a way to instill a sense of calmness to your life and the life of your child. You’ll likely need a
break from the hectic lifestyle that will be created once your bundle of joy comes into this world, and it helps to have a peaceful oasis waiting for her. Perhaps the best way to do that is to feng shui the nursery. Whatever reason you have for wanting to feng shui your nursery, these tips and techniques can ensure your child and your family will be well-rested and have an inner sense of peace.
Keep a Relaxing Environment
The nursery is supposed to be a place of calmness, so you want to make it a very relaxing place to be. Bright colors and lots of movement should be kept in the playroom and out of the nursery. Colors such as reds and oranges may end up keeping your little one awake at night instead of giving him that bit of solace and quiet that’s necessary for a restful evening. With more soothing hues, such as light browns, greens and blues, your child will behave differently and react positively to its calming effects.
Another way to keep it relaxing is to only have a handful of toys in the room. This is not a play area and should not stimulate a lot of activity and movement. Your child will be able to differentiate between play and sleep if the rooms for each activity are kept separate.
Go Natural
To truly follow feng shui, the nursery should have natural materials, such as wood, rather than synthetic substances like plastic. The crib, rocking chair and other furniture should be made out of real wood rather than hard, cold plastic or laminate.
Also, avoid electronic devices such as television sets, radios and phones. Having these in the nursery can harm the sleep cycle of your baby, according to feng shui adherents. Feng shui experts believe that the noises and radio waves emitted by these items disrupt the child’s regular sleeping pattern and even stunt their developmental process.
The more you keep things natural within the nursery, the more at ease and comfortable your baby will feel. You can even decorate with woods like bamboo to bring more nature into the room.
Clutter-Free Zone
The nursery needs to remain a clutter-free zone. Having a clean, open space is calming to the child. One purpose of feng shui is to allow positive chi to flow freely throughout the room. Also, it is calming to your baby to be able to see everything in the room and not feel overwhelmed by too much “stuff.” Just like walking into a messy room can cause you to have a mini-panic attack, a cluttered room may cause a similar reaction in your child due to over stimulation. Having an uncluttered room is also a way to keep your child feeling centered. Another way to ensure your child feels calm and benefits from the tenets of feng shui is to have a mobile or a crystal located in the center of the room or to hang one above the center of the crib. The feeling of being centered created by these objects is key to feng shui.
An easy way to keep things clutter-free is to not allow the baby in the room unless it is bedtime or naptime. This will encourage separate behaviors for the nursery and the play area and other rooms of the house.
Keep It Simple and Avoid Noise
Simplicity is an important factor to feng shui. Busy wallpaper, décor and patterns throughout the room may distract from the sense of relaxation desired for this room.
Furniture placement is key when it comes to feng shui, with a square shape favored most highly. If the room has a sloped ceiling or a curved wall, square it off with curtains or furniture. A window is also a busy area of the room where negative energy can flow in freely, so this is not where you want to put the baby’s crib. Street noises as well as sunshine or other lights can deter your child from getting a restful night’s sleep.
The location of the room itself can help create a relaxed environment for your baby as well. If possible, do not have the nursery located above a garage or near a busy door such as the front entryway. The heavy traffic of the location will disturb the peace of the nursery.
To best nurture your child, create a peaceful place for him to sleep. Though an infant may not realize he’s better off sleeping through the night, the rest of your family will appreciate the effort you put in to make it happen and he may thrive more as a result of your dedication.
Written by Michelle of NannyPro.com