Health Articles

COLOURS: Encourage children to have some say in how they would like their room to be decorated as after all this is often their sanctuary. Be aware of the colours you decorate a childs bedroom though. Many modern décor shops offer an array of enticing colours which can easily influence the ‘energy’ of a childs mood. For example, reds and oranges are ‘yang’ colours which may enhance the activity of an already hyperactive child, however these warm colours may encourage a passive child to become more interactive by stimulating their yang energy. On the other hand, pale blues and pastel greens calming ‘Yin’ so choosing colours such as these for super active children may help sooth and relax them in their sanctuary space. As a general rule, pastel colours are better for sleep and brighter colours are great for play.

CLUTTER : Reduce the clutter in your children's room. Throw away any broken toys or pass on/recycle any un used toys.Keep special drawings or artwork but recycle half finished art projects that otherwise collect dust if you know they will never be completed.This will not only encourage an easy flow of positive energy but help children to ‘let go’ of unnecessary junk and uninteresting projects that they don't need. This is even hard for me as I am a natural hoarder so I am teaching my children through feng shui and of coarse must set an example. A cluttered room may add to a child’s procrastination of homework, new activities or creativity leading to a ‘stagnant’ energy or boredom or even depression.

Open bedroom windows every morning to let fresh air circulate and to let the energizing sunlight in.

Quality Toys can last a lifetime so I prefer to buy my children natural wooden toys that encourage inspiration and creativity or other quality made toys such as Lego and jigsaw puzzles rather than cheap plastic toys that after two days will serve no purpose.

Spend time in the children’s room with the children so the room feels warm and comforting for the child to play in even when you are not there with them.

EMF’s (Electro Magnetic Frequency) must be reduced in and around your children’s bedroom’s especially at night while they are sleeping. EMF’s are emitted from anything electrical e.g., computers, televisions, mobile phones, electric lamps etc. EMF’s can affect sleep and mood patterns by altering the body’s ability to produce a hormone called Melatonin; which is manufactured while we sleep. Melatonin helps regulate our sleep and moods, and helps protect us against a variety of illnesses including cancer. Exposure to EMF’s in our bedroom while we sleep will dramatically decrease our ability to produce melatonin. Therefore our sleep will be interrupted directly affecting our mood.Unplug all electrical items from the bedrooms while sleeping.Also make sure the child’s bed does not share an outside wall with an electric meter/wires or a TV or computer.

Lighting will also affect the amount of Melatonin produced so it is important to sleep in the dark as even a small night light may affect the adequate amount of melatonin production. .

Music that is relaxing can be played at night time to soothe children with dimmed lighting or you can read them a ‘happy’ story to relax the children before bed. Being on the computer or watching TV before bed can be very disruptive for anyone's sleep as a) you are being subjected to EMF’s and b) you will be stimulated by the lights of the TV or monitor, both of which will reduce your body’s Melatonin production.N.B a flat (LCD) screen emits less EMF’s than a full computer.

Bed positioning may affect the sleep of a child. There are many compass point positions that can accurately help to position a bed using Feng shui so if your child has particular problems with sleeping it is recommended you seek a professional Feng shui practitioner for a personal consultation. However as a general guide, beds should be placed with the headboard against a solid wall and with access to walk around the sides of the bed. It is best not to place the head board directly under a window but if you need to you can drape a heavy piece of material between the bed and the window while the child is sleeping.It is not good Feng Shui to have your bed directly under a beam or a sloping room. Another position of the bed that is not so good is to have the foot of the bed facing directly towards the door. If this is the only place for the bed then ensure the door is closed while the child is sleeping or place a screen at the end of the bed to protect them from energies rushing through the door and affecting their sleep.

Positive pictures and photographs can really help the child feel confidently happy and loved. Family photo’s will help to make a child feel secure and at ease so they may feel happier to sleep and hang out in their rooms. Positive pictures can add to the ambience of their room such as their favourite ‘friendly’ animals, pretty boats on the sea or a positive role model such as an athlete etc. Make sure to hang pictures at eye level of the little ones. Fierce, scary monsters or violent war scenes will only add negative energy to the room. The same goes for reading negative spooky stories, watching violent movies and playing war games on computer.

Encourage their creativity by putting their own artwork on show or hanging a certificate they may have gained for something special. You can even make your own certificates for them to show their special personal achievements.

A wind chime out side of the window is a positive Feng Shui touch to redirect outside energy. We actually made our own wind chimes for my son’s room. There are many ideas on the internet for making your own wind chimes such as using old CD’S, pretty beads, sea shells collected from a happy family holiday.