For a long time I have listened to people discussing house renovations or witnessed them attempting a paint job in their home. This especially occurs when a family is getting a family room or a nursery set up for some quality family time or for a new arrival. The question that is often asked is; what would be a good colour to paint the room? Will my choice affect the development of my baby, and will my house be warm and inviting to friends and family when they visit? I never really thought of it like that, many of us just choose a colour that is our favourite one or that is fashionable at the time. After reading up on the subject matter, I have come to believe that this topic does indeed have some value. But what do all the colours mean, and what affect do the different colours have on children?
Warm colours
Warm colours create the feeling of comfort and happiness, and can make big open spaces look more comfy and intimate. Shades of red, orange and yellow can be stimulating on the mind and energize the body. These colours specifically have an influence on child development, but the effect it has on energizing the body could have people raising their eyebrows. Especially when a calm environment is needed for a busy little toddler, bright warm colours would not be a good choice. It is thus advised that these warm colours be used in moderation. Instead of painting a whole room with bright yellows, oranges or reds, just paint a part of the room with these bold colours and use accessories to repeat your colour scheme. One could also choose to combine warm colours with cool colours to balance them all out and to create some calmness and prevent any negative effects.
Let’s look at a few colours and discuss their properties.
Red: is an exciting and busy colour. Some research suggests that, because of its ability to energize the body; good athletic abilities could be increased. There is a negative side to the colour red; it is sometimes described as an aggressive colour and affects concentration and focus negatively. It could therefore have an influence on a child’s academic performance.
Pink: Femininity and empathy is synonymous with the colour Pink. It creates a sense of calmness. Pink can however become an annoying colour over time, which can lead to agitation and anxiety.
Yellow: Happiness and motivation is associated with this cheery colour. Soft and subtle shades of yellow are good for concentration where bright yellows stimulate memory and increase metabolism. However too much yellow can over stimulate a baby and lead to feelings of anger and frustration.
Orange: Usually puts people at ease, that’s why we can describe it as a welcoming, friendly and positive colour. Just like yellow; it can over stimulate a baby and that’s why this color should be used sparingly.
Cool colours
Cool colours have a calming effect on children and can make small rooms’ look and feel more relaxing and spacious. When thinking of “cool” one tends to think about clouds, rain, waves just to name a few, so one should be careful when using dark-cool- colours so that one does not place the focus on the gloomy feeling one tends to associate with the colour.
Blue: Calms the body and mind and has the opposite effect that red has on children. Anxiety and aggression decreases, along with blood pressure. Spending time in a blue environment can help children who are prone to tantrums, behavioral problems and who struggle to sleep. It could also be that a blue room can have a cooling effect on the body in very hot locations.
Purple: Blue and red = purple. Purple can be associated with royalty and a luxurious feel. Because blue and red are primary colours and the creators of purple, their properties can also be linked to purple, for example the energy of red and the calmness of blue.
Green: is a colour that reminds us of nature and thus creates a calm feeling. Green has a soothing effect on the body and mind and by being exposed to green, concentration can improve and reading abilities can increase. Research has shown that using a green transparent paper over written text can increase reading speed and comprehension.
Use it don’t use it, paint it don’t paint it. At the end of the day we are all individuals and we don’t always experience things in the same way. One should not take the negative and positive opinions about the different colours as law. Have a “GO” and experiment with it, and see what effect it has on you and your child. A parent should also remember that there are so many things that the media/ organizations recommend for parents in order to guarantee a happy and healthy baby. Stick to the basics, if you love your baby and create a save and stimulating environment, you will have a happy and healthy child.
Hope this article brightened up your day like it did mine!
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