Allergy-Proof Your Child's Bedroom
(Page 2 of 4)
January/February 2002
By Lori Tobias
Black suggests taking a solid inventory of your children’s space. “Find out what the products that you are putting in the room are made of and ask yourself, Are these healthy? Do some research to find out how they would impact anyone’s environment. Because if a child’s immune system is constantly dealing with the environment, how is the child able to concentrate on learning? Parents need to be really in tune and not just assume that any problem in learning and behavior is a puberty problem. Maybe the problem is immune sensitivity.”
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Color therapy
Is your child a bully? An outcast? Suddenly injury prone? Katherine Metz, a feng shui expert from Redstone, Colorado, suggests that the colors you use in a child’s bedroom can make a difference in their demeanor and outlook.
If your child is a bully, apple green, light blue, or dark green can be calming. To help develop wisdom and compassion, use a mix of white, black, and green.
If your child is often ill, use a variety of colors, especially those associated with the five elements: wood (green and blue); fire (red); earth (yellow); metal (white); water (black).
If your child is depressed, green—especially kelly green—is a wonderful color to ease the depression. If the depression is chronic, try apple green.
If your child has mood swings, use earth colors to ground the child and allow those emotions to come to rest.
To help stimulate a child's intellect, use black or white, which can enhance the ability to learn. Black is the color of wisdom and intellectual activity. White is the color of metal; it creates a container for knowledge and cuts away any distractions.
Kid-friendly rooms
Environmental health experts generally agree on basic guidelines for creating a healthy child’s bedroom.
When you’re creating a child’s bedroom, consider where it’s located. The basement is likely to be more damp than an upper level and thus more hospitable to mold. Basements often serve as storage spaces for paints, cleansers, and other chemicals. “All have solvents in them,” says Rosalind Anderson, president of Anderson Laboratories, which tests airborne chemicals for toxicity, “and solvents are particularly bad for the brain. In a child whose brain isn’t finished developing, solvent exposure can really do damage.”
Do not use carpet. Carpet contains toxic chemicals and also traps dust and mold. And small children spend lots of time on the floor, making exposure that much more acute. Instead of carpet, use linoleum, cork, or hardwood, fastened with nails or nontoxic glue. Use washable area rugs to make hard floors more cozy. If carpet can’t be avoided, Kim Nadell, a designer with New York’s Image and Ecology, Environmentally Smart Interior Design, suggests cutting a loose piece that fits the room. “That way you can roll it up in the summer and get it cleaned,” she says. Keep in mind, too, that because woven carpets require less glue than tufted, they are likely to put out fewer toxins.