As children get older, their personalities develop in new and exciting ways, which tends to reflect in their bedroom decorations. One child grows out of their pink-princess phase into an interest in horses and water-coloring. Another grows out of their nothing-but-superheroes phase into a passion for all things legos and train tracks. Your toddlers grow into more complex young school-age children. Enthusiastic first-graders grow into intelligent and opinionated fourth-graders, who grow into middle schoolers with future career ideas. Then, eventually, they grow into ambitious teenagers.

And at every phase, you'll be there ready to encourage them to grow into their personalities and become who they were meant to be. One of the best ways to do that as a parent is to allow your children to decorate their rooms in ways that match their current personality, favorite colors, and passionate interests.

Working together, you can help your child have a fun time redecorating their rooms to match who they have grown into this year. Today, we're here to explore several fun ways parents can redecorate their children's bedrooms together as a family.

Ask Your Child What They Imagine

The first step is straightforward: Ask your child what they want. You might be surprised how many parents on a redecorating tear forget this step and redo their kids' rooms without checking in first. Most children love to reimagine a place, especially if you make it clear that you're just brainstorming so they can give you any idea they can think of at first.

You might discover that your child's been dreaming of living in an aquarium, or that your middle-schooler wants to hand-paint trees and flowers and hang paper 'vines' from the ceiling instead of just choosing a paint color. Or that your third-grader has decided to become a veterinarian and wants to transform their room into a stuffed-animal vet clinic. Children change fast, and sometimes their interests and ideas take parents by surprise in the best possible way.

If you have multiple children, get them involved in each other's plans so that you'll all be excited to work on each other's rooms together as a big family project.

Then Reality-Check It Together

Younger children will usually have wild ideas that go beyond the realm of possible or practical, even if it sounds cool in theory. And teenagers may also have ideas that—while possible—may not be practical or affordable to implement. That's okay. Brainstorming will give you a clear view of the impression your child wants the room to give. So work together on reality-checking the details, and don't be shy about looking up DIY guides to see how others have brought similar ideas to life.

Be prepared to ask small children fun logic questions like "Do you think we can do that with paint and ladders?" and to ask your teens "Do you think the ceiling can support that kind of weight? And if not, do you have an alternative we could try?" Most children (and teens) will feel gratification that you came to them for an in-depth idea session.

Build a Redecoration Plan

Once you've agreed with your child on a theme and some of the defining details, it's time to start outlining your action plan. Break down your brainstormed list into sub-projects that you and your children can do together. That's the best point to have all your children involved at once because they will offer each other practical or creative insight on how to achieve their redecoration goals.

Each sub-project is a practical thing you can do in a couple of hours or several sessions. Repainting the dresser in a new accent color, for example, will require paint, brushes, a drop-cloth, and about an hour. Hanging new curtains, on the other hand, will require a lot less time and supplies.

Here are some sub-projects that redecorating your children’s bedrooms will likely include:

• Repaint the Walls in a New Color
• 1-2 gallons of Semi-Gloss Paint
• Paint Pan and Rollers (enough for everyone)

• Repaint the Furniture - Color and Designs
• 1-4 Quarts of Accent Paint
• Paint Brushes

• Hang New Curtains
• 1 Set of Curtains (remember, you can DIY curtains out of almost anything)

• Pick Out New Bedding Designs
• 2 Sets of Colored Sheets
• 2-4 Accent Pillow Cases
• 1 New Comforter
• 1 New Throw Blanket

• Lay a Themed Area Rug
• 1 Decorative Themed Rug

• Add a Desk / Art Area
• 1 Desk or table
• 1 Chair
• Art and School Supplies
• 1-2 Quarts of Paint

• Extra Wall/Ceiling/Furniture Decorations
• Decorative Trim
• Excess Paint
• Large Stencils
• Custom light-switch covers
• Rolls of Colored Paper

Budget the Project With Your Children

Often, parents will handle the budget issue entirely on their own, but kids of any age have a lot to gain from understanding how their plans translate plans into real-world costs. It’s especially helpful if they're old enough to understand the final price as multiples of their current allowance. Start by setting a target budget and a maximum possible budget. For older kids who can do the math, throw in a bonus reward for coming in under-budget.

Whether you shop for supplies online or go to a store together to price your shopping list, get your kids involved in identifying the price, finding the best price-to-value among the options, and making an informed choice. Then look at the entire list and tally up the final cost. If it's over-budget, give your kids a chance to cut out things they don't really care about, downgrade on something, or get creative with cheaper alternatives now that they've explored the real-world options.

Oh, and don't be surprised if some plans change enthusiastically at the last minute when your kids see what's in the stores and judge what they can get for their budget value.

Set Aside a Weekend or Five

Depending on the extent of your plans, and how many rooms you're redecorating, your final step is to set aside the time and dive into your project plan. It can become a fantastic month-long project of evenings spent together or something you blitz through on weekends. Remind older kids not to make alternate plans with friends during your redecoration time. Or, if they do, to invite their friends over to help wield a paintbrush!