Every school year parents and students dutifully trudge through the malls in search of the perfect sneaker or the cool new outfit for the coming school year. However, it’s unlikely that the new shoe or shirt will benefit them as much as a new design in the bedroom.
That’s because a bedroom makeover will create new interest and energy – what feng shui calls “chi” – in the bedroom that will benefit a child.
According to feng shui, the Chinese technique for design and arrangement, rooms that have good energy, or “chi”, create happier, well-adjusted children.
Feng shui theories suggest that for a child’s room to have good “chi,” the room must follow certain guidelines such as that they must be restful, promote good relationships with others and generate good self-esteem. Perhaps most importantly, harmonious children’s bedrooms encourage good study habits and promote greater success in school.
What does it take to promote greater success in school? According to feng shui, the following seven tips are key to creating rooms that inspire kids to study.
1. The room must have a desk.
It sounds obvious, but many kids’ only workspace is either a bed, the bedroom floor, or the family dining table. Every child needs a suitable study area in the bedroom that includes a desk, chair, and a lamp. Children with study areas are more likely to study. Better still, having a study area keeps all the school books and papers confined to the child’s room. Feng shui also believes it’s best for children to study facing the northeast, the direction of wisdom and learning.
2. Ground your kids.
Buy your kids a globe to promote interest in geography and to help “ground” them and encourage them to study. Add a globe in the Northeast corner of the bedroom, if possible.
3. Create an achievement corner.
Every child needs to have recognition for a job well done. A perfect way to gain this is to create an achievement corner on the South wall of the bedroom. According to feng shui, this is the recognition area and is a good place to pin up awards, papers with good grades, letters of recommendation, ribbons, or trophies.
4. Hang a crystal in the Northeast corner of the room.
Crystals are used to make computer chips faster. Hang a crystal in the study location to create more “study” chi and to help sharpen the child’s ability to “process” or think!
5. Put your child in the command position.
Avoid having children face a wall when studying because this represents an obstacle. They should be able to see the door when someone enters.
6. Display maps and other educational artwork.
Maps are another way to ground educational pursuits. They encourage “worldly” interest and curiosity and they make suitable images for a child’s room. Avoid scary creatures, pictures depicting violence, or sad or dark subjects.
7. Eliminate TV from the bedroom.
Sadly many of today’s children have TVs in their bedrooms. This is a feng shui no-no because it can make children much less likely to study and to fully rest. If your child doesn’t study as much as you would like and has a TV in the bedroom, ask yourself what is more important: television or adequate rest and education?
8. Shells and fish are symbols of education.
Conch shells and koi or goldfish are excellent symbols of educational success. Place the conch shell in the Northeast corner of the bedroom. Or, hang a picture of koi or goldfish in the Northeast corner. It is not recommended to keep live fish in the bedroom as water in the bedroom is associated with loss.
9. Make space for books and school materials.
When kids come home from school they should have a place to put their backpacks and books. There should also be a place for them to hang coats and hats and take off shoes. If your kids put their books on the stairs this is especially important because anyone using the stairs will be stepping over the books. This symbolically puts education “under your feet.” Make sure books are not put on the stairs but have a regular “home” when the kids come in the door.
10. Activate the wisdom direction.
The Northeast sector should be activated appropriately with a globe, a lamp, and/or a quartz crystal or geode. Other objects would include anything made of porcelain or earth, such as a vase. A rock collection is another excellent way to energize this sector.
11. Careful about what you place under the stairs.
If you have stairs in your home, you will want to make sure there is nothing there that can be harmful to your family. In particular, water located under stairs poses a threat to children in the home — and to their education. If the space under your stairs is open, try to close it up. If you can’t, then place a heavy object such as a statue here. If there is a closet located here, make sure it is filled with family possessions, such as holiday decorations, suitcases, or other household items. Avoid placing books in here, however, as this can cause studies to falter.
