OFF TO COLLEGE & THE ROOM NEEDS A MAKEOVER

Do you have a child who will be leaving for school soon? Are you anxious to get into his/her bedroom in hopes of giving it a makeover? It would be fun to give your child a newly-designed space for weekend visits. But I would caution you that it may not be the best idea to make it a complete surprise.

Before your student moves out, work with her to de-clutter closets and storage spaces of clothing and memorabilia. You don't want to make assumptions yourself and donate or toss anything that she isn't quite ready to part with yet. Cleaning out the bedroom will not only give your child a head-start on getting ready to pack for school, but also help in your quest to make the space over.

Moving out of the house can be an emotional time for your child. Holding on to certain memory-evoking items--and even taking them to school with her--can help ease the transition. Putting together scrapbooks, photo albums, bulletin boards and memory boxes are great ways to corral these items and keep them safe. It may be a project you can work on together, or maybe give her as a going away gift.

Once all of the personal items are cared for, you're able to begin the actual transformation of the space. Giving the room a good cleaning and painting will be much easier after it is de-cluttered.

You may be able to eliminate some of the furniture in the room. Talk to her ahead of time about how she will need the room to function and determine exactly what pieces she will need. Will she need more than a bed and dresser? Will she be doing homework and need a desk? A bookcase? A comfy chair?

You will not only be creating a great new space for your child, but also, in a way, helping yourself transition through this next step in her life. Have some fun.

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