Zen Solutions for a Busy Mom
Feng Shui Tips to Help Your Child Settle Down and Sleep Better
by Bridget Saraka

This article was inspired by those big “Aha!” moments from the moms of young children who have attended my feng shui classes. Many of them have mentioned that their children have difficulty getting to sleep and staying asleep. When discussing the most ideal feng shui bedroom tips, they are shocked and delighted at the practicality of my Zen solutions.

Preparing for bed isn’t something that happens five or ten minutes beforehand, it’s something that is a slow and steady unwind from the time the children hear the 3:30 pm school bell, rush home to do homework, eat dinner, head off to their favourite sports activities, and rush home for a bath and a snack before bed. Everything around them is dictating the speed in which their adrenaline rushes and their mind races. Create a home and a routine that represents a sense of calm and purpose, that balances the external world of learning, playing, and be-ing a calm and joyful free spirit.

Feng shui is careful not to mix intentions, so if you are able to, then avoid sending your children to their bedroom to do their homework. It is very easy for a young mind to confuse the ritual of going to bed with the act of studying and doing homework. The confusion can cause unnecessary stress.

An easy “A” doesn’t just happen for some. For many, it’s a stressor that will haunt them the rest of their lives. Reduce homework struggles by creating a study corner away from the rest of the common rooms of the home by designating an area that provides them a seat where they can see the entrance to the room, but away from the television and play areas.

Eliminate your little one’s stress by packing all homework in book-bags and placing them by the main entrance before bed. You’ll find your child will sleep better and wake excited for the day without the constant reminder of assignments hanging over their heads.

Reduce the urge to decorate your child’s room with all those A, B, C, and 1, 2, 3 letters and numbers, as these visual aides are very stimulating and contribute to their restlessness and inability to go to sleep. Their mind will never rest and neither will you.

Editing the “sports memorabilia” from your child’s bedroom will calm the chi of the space and in turn will calm your child, as well. It’s hard to sleep when everything in the room is mirroring activity.

When deciding on colours for your child’s room, choose a grounding colour that is warm and calming such as a pastel. Primary colours are active play and school colours, not sleep inducing ones. Knowing the child’s dominant characteristics will aid in identifying the most beneficial colours.

Reduce the amount of electricity in the bedroom by removing computers, televisions, and electric alarm clocks. If you have small children and play a tape of your own voice singing or humming your favourite lullaby, or reading an endearing children’s book, place the device away from the bed turned to a low volume when you leave the room. A child who falls asleep to the sound of their mother’s voice will have a sense of security and reassurance that you are close. Comfort and safety are the name of this game. You’ll smile when you hear them humming the same song at seventeen, while they’re studying for a final exam.

Place the bed where your child can see the door from their pillow, preferably with one side of the bed up against a solid wall (only if the solid wall is not backing a fireplace, bathroom, kitchen, or electrical panel). I’ve seen many children’s beds placed behind the door, or on the same wall as the door. This does not provide a sense of safety and security as they cannot see you for reassurance that they are not alone. However, be mindful not to place the bed directly in line with the door. Choose plain flannel sheets and plush blankets or comforters. Hang curtains instead of blinds to create that den space, using plain not action and super hero fabrics, but soft and silky. Remember warm and cozy.

Place a family photo on the wall or dresser beside the bed, in a location that can be seen from their pillow. You are their safe place, their sanctuary, their first home—remind them of this. A small nightlight calms their spirit and casts a warm glow.

Resist the urge to hang shelving on the walls, as this creates what feng shui considers Sha Chi or sharp energy and over time will feel as though something is weighing them down.

Closet doors are good for keeping things out of sight, but are more often than not left wide open creating unnecessary obstacles in the room. Closet organizers, shelving, and fabric or wicker bins work fabulous to keep things orderly, and are places to put away dolls, teddy bears, trains, planes, and automobiles. Hanging curtains over the closet opening instead of doors makes for a soft motherly feel and are much easier to keep closed at night.

I also recommend having the room dowsed for any non-beneficial geopathic stress that may be causing some unnecessary invisible stimulus. The results are amazing.

For more Feng Shui tips visit Bridget’s blog at http://blog.zensolutionsfengshui.ca, or follow on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/ZenSolutionsbyBridget.

Bridget Saraka, IFSG MD, CC & RRP, is an Internationally Certified Feng Shui Consultant, a Professional Dowser, and owner of Zen Solutions by Bridget located in Saskatoon. To contact her call 306-249-2064 or visit www.zensolutionsfengshui.com. Also, see the Directory of Services ad on page 29 of the 18.4 November/December issue of the WHOLifE Journal.