“Today is the first day of the rest of your life.” –Charles Dederich
Our grandchild is beginning kindergarten this year! Where has the time gone? So many of our friends are experiencing similar milestones; beginning of kindergarten, middle school, high school or college.  These can be exciting yet challenging times with so many emotions. Feng Shui can help you and your children through these transitions by restoring and uplifting Children and Creativity energy. Look at these transitions as opportunities for renewal and reenergizing.  If you begin by taking time to clear, organize, and give away what items your child no longer needs and making room for new clothes and supplies you are taking the very first step in Feng Shui – decluttering to make way for harmony and new opportunities.
With children move forward in their lives, look to Feng Shui to help them succeed. The purpose of Feng Shui in a child’s bedroom is to create a healthy, happy environment that fosters education, good health, happy relationships with parents and siblings, and respect for parents. Children and parents can enjoy success and healthy relationships if the environment supports them.
Unfortunately, most children’s bedrooms are neon bright and excessively busy. Feng Shui stresses the direct correlation between one’s environment and one’s life. The child could be over stimulated by bedroom décor. It is no surprise that parents complain that their child does not quiet down.  Could you relax in a bedroom overflowing with toys, accentuated by loud primary colors and action figures? These rooms are awake and active. Instead think of tucking your children into the tranquil embrace of a cozy, serene bedroom that encourages their creativity, yet allows them to calm down and get the rest they need.

Suggestions for Children’s Rooms:
* Colors – Replace bright primary colors with soft pastels such as lavender, peach, light yellow, blue, green and cocoa; or the pastel version of the colors of the Bagua area the room resides in.
* Art and Photos– Change from decorative themes that are flying, falling, driving, or running to a motif that is calm and tranquil such as a peaceful forest scene or calm animals.  Include inspirational posters and self-esteem boosters. You can also use art and photos in a subtle way to achieve the desired results. For example, if your child is a bit unruly, having the photo of parents in the room is a subtle Feng Shui solution to calm his or her energy. If your child feels shy, use art with big open horizons and warm, reassuring colors. And, of course, it is always a self-esteem builder to use your children’s art not only in their room, but throughout the house.
* Possessions – Avoid clutter. Children’s rooms easily become overcrowded with toys, games, equipment, and collections. Every item that speaks of activity contributes to keeping the room awake. Rotate the toys, by displaying a selection of toys and keeping the rest out of sight in cabinets and closets. This way when the child tires of the current ones the hidden ones will become new again.
* Electromagnetic Frequencies – These are harsh energies emitted by electronic devices which also keep a child from sleeping well. Arrange furniture so that your child’s body is 2 feet away from computer towers, computer monitors, and power strips. Keep them an adult arm span away from TVs. Cover TVs and computers at night while sleeping or keep them in cabinets that are easily closed. Use a power strip to cut off power to electronic devices if you can.
* Furniture Placement- The bed should have its headboard against a solid wall. If possible, ensure there is room to walk around each side of the bed, don’t push one side up against the wall, and avoid placing the bed under a window or directly in line with the door.
* Create a space for study and accomplishments – Having a dedicated space, including a desk and lamp where your child can study, demonstrates to your child the importance you place on education and your child’s educational achievement. Remember that the desk should be in the power position facing the door.

Reenergizing Rooms Using the Feng Shui Bagua

Feng Shui uses the Bagua (Ba-gua) Map to identify the important facets of your life represented by areas in your home.  The Bagua comes from the Chinese philosophy, “The I Ching,” and literally means “eight trigrams” with the center as the source for grounding.  The best location for a child’s room in the house is the Children and Creativity Area (Middle Right area), but since this doesn’t always happen wherever the child’s room lies in your home, you can use the Bagua enhancements to create a more balanced and energizing space.

A Sample of Children’s Room Enhancements using the Bagua:

CAREER – Front Center –Calm water scenes, inspirational posters, hang a round faceted crystal representing water

KNOWLEGDGE/SELF CULTIVATION– Left Front Corner – Live plants, art depicting wooded areas, pastel green

FAMILY/FRIENDS/HEALTH – Left Center – Plants, pastel green, pictures of flowers and family

WEALTH – Back Left Corner – Plants with rounded leaves, images and symbols of wealth, pastel lavender

FAME – Back Center –Diplomas, awards and acknowledgements, inspirational posters, pastel shades of red

LOVE – Right Back Corner – Pairs of items,  pastel shades of red or pink

CHILDREN/CREATIVITY – Right Center –Art depicting children, whites and pastels, whimsical items

HELPFUL PEOPLE/TRAVEL– Right Front Corner –Travel posters, art depicting spiritual guides, or pictures of mentors

CENTER –Pastel earth tones, items in the shape of squares, rectangles and ceramics

Serenity is the goal – when you calm the room down you calm the child down too. Creating a comfortable, harmonious bedroom makes for a good night’s rest which makes for a refreshed, healthy child.
Children growing up and experiencing milestones can be a time of renewal, rebirth and moving forward, for all of you. This is a great time to revitalize your home environment by decluttering the stagnant energy, creating new beautiful spaces and reenergizing your home and your life.  Get started now and enjoy the flow of  your child’s success and new opportunities!

Affirmations:
In Feng Shui, intent plays a significant role in enhancing your home or business. All enhancements need to be made with intentionality, with written or stated affirmations as if they have already happened. Examples of affirmations for children’s rooms and Children and Creativity Area: “My baby is strong and thriving.” “Our children express themselves in positive ways; they excel in their individual ways and are very happy.”

Feng Shui at Work:  
My daughter has her Children and Creativity area located in an alcove between her dining room and living room. Knowing about Feng Shui, she decided to create a child’s play area there. She installed a white cubby hole shelf system acting as a room divider where all her 2-year-old daughter’s toys are neatly kept. The area is painted pastels and houses larger toys such as the simulated baking oven and art supplies. She made a corresponding area for her five-year-old son just across the room (in the Center Area) with matching cubbyholes for his toys and his art on the wall. Both areas are kid friendly and easy to keep clean. A small white table with two pastel green chairs makes it easy for both her children to sit and play.
Mirrors can also be strong activators. Unfortunately, some houses have large mirrored closet doors.  My client’s child was having problems sleeping throughout the night and kept waking them up. Consequently, he was tired at school and his grades were suffering. I suggested curtaining the large mirror at night time. She agreed and quickly hung a pastel blue curtain over the mirror. He loved the concept of drawing the curtain and saying goodnight. The effect was almost immediate! He slept through the night and consequently was more alert and motivated at school. Everyone was happier. Small changes can make a big difference!
Wishing you and your children a very successful school year filled with all the positive energy Feng Shui provides.
For questions or home consultations, email  mtmccull@aol.com and put “Feng Shui” on the subject line, or visit my website at www.fengshuibymaria.com, (where you can read past columns), or Facebook “Feng Shui by Maria”, where I post pictures as examples to enhancements.

Classes:
I will be teaching a series of three classes through Acalanes Adult Ed:
“Feng Shui for Prosperity”
Thursdays,  Sept. 27 to Oct. 11 from 1 to 3 p.m.
Acalanes Adult Ed is located at 1963 Tice Valley Blvd. in Walnut Creek. You can register online at acalanes.k12.ca.us/adulted (Participants will receive $40 off a home consultation.)

* Check out my BLOG – Just go to the website and click on “Blog”: You can view many pictures and, I will respond to your questions quickly.
Until then…Blessings!

Maria McCullough is the owner / founder of Feng Shui by Maria (www.fengshuibymaria.com) and is a speaker and educator with over 20 years of experience. She specializes in residential, landscape and business consultations. She is a graduate of the Western School of Feng Shui and has personally trained with Terah Kathryn Collins, founder of the Western School of Feng Shui, specializing in Essential Feng Shui® and author of numerous books including “The Western Guide to Feng Shui.”