In my typical home in Chicago I have two pretty typical children. Like the majority of parents we fight and wrestle and bribe to get our kids to straighten up and keep their rooms clean. Most of the time, what usually happens in my home is, I break down and wind up taking care of it myself. This happens a lot, until I got them involved in decorating their rooms. Our first project involved the walls.



Surveys show that what drives parents crazy are kids that neglect their rooms. Psychologists suggest that if children help design their surroundings they will respect them more and tend to take great care of them.

Many parents and kids are looking for that perfect back drop. More and more companies see this niche market and are keying in and creating more lines just for children's rooms.

The origin in children's wallpaper began around 1870 and continues today. Since their inception, the wallpaper designs have been strongly influenced by literature and pop culture. The earliest works had strong religious and moral overtones. Later in the 19th century you saw more wallpaper designs stressing the importance of good behavior. In the 20th century the wallpaper has become lighter in tone and feature more engaging content. Papers have been manufactured to illustrate favorite literature, nursery rhymes, comic strip characters and works of fiction. Some examples of these are Mother Goose, Alice in Wonderland, and Cinderella.

There are many well known artists and designers that have helped shape the wallpaper designs. Some of these famous people are Walter Crane, Beatrix Potter, Cecil Aldin and William Wegman.

Today's wallpaper is designed to educate, stimulate and amuse. Most children's wallpaper uses a sophisticated color palette, but possess a childlike whimsy. Most combine graphic patterns, prints, stripes, solids that are playful and friendly. They create a storybook world with happy endings. They provide a safe and inspirational dream world for kids to escape to. It culminates into a positive room concept.

When my son was just a toddler I choose a wallpaper border. This was easily changed and removed as he grew. What I did was place it at his eye level and as he grew I kept replacing it and moving it higher up on the wall.

Another one of our choices was called frames. This wallpaper allowed my son to interact with the wallpaper. It consisted of freely drawn picture frames on a plain white background. My son created his own unique designs by coloring in the frames. Who knows maybe he will become the next Michelangelo!

One of my son's friends had Lego wallpaper in his room. This was a big hit and a must see. You could actually place and arrange the easily detachable wall covering on any surface you desire. How creative is that?

You should always choose your paper for what type of surface is being covered. Ask yourself, is the wall smooth or rough? Also some papers stain easily and can get dirty quickly. This may not be the right choice for a Childs room. Make certain you choose wallpaper that is easy to clean and maintain.

Some papers that are available are vinyl coated paper, paper backed vinyl, fabric backed vinyl, silk, grass cloth, flocked and foils. The average price for a single roll is about sixteen dollars. But you can find them for less or more expensive.

There are thousands of themes and just to name a few there are animals, floral, sports, nursery characters, sesame street characters and lovable critters. Remember the main objective is to fit your Childs personality and interests. This will inspire your Childs imagination and instill the respect in he or she that the parents desire.

After choosing the wallpapers, please take special attention in preparing the walls. There is nothing more important. Wallpapers and borders do best with a primer and a smooth finish on the walls. This helps the installation and makes it easier to remove at a later date.

Take a moment and relive the time when the world was an abundance of curious adventures that awaited you. You have the power and incentive to turn your child's room into a creation of magic. Start your search today so you can find the peace that you are after.