First Person: Preparing a Bedroom for Our Daughter

My husband and I went house shopping with a special need in mind. We had decided to start the adoption process once we were settled in our new home and needed a house that would be suitable for a child. We looked at houses with our future child in mind. We paid special attention to bedrooms, yard sizes and the amount of traffic on the streets.

The house we loved got another offer an hour before ours that was higher. We were crushed when we were told someone else would be buying it. However, a few days later our realtor called to say the offer fell through because the other couple was unable to secure financing. The sellers accepted our original offer and we moved in a month later.

We set the room up for our our little girl right away. We kept it pretty plain, so she could add her own touches, since we decided to pursue adopting an older child from foster care. We painted the walls lavender and hung bright pink curtains. We had an extra TV and computer leftover from upgrades that we added to the room. Grey bedding, a desk and a bedside table with a colorful lamp completed the room.

Our daughter moved in a bit over a year later. She was nine years old. She’s been home for two and a half years now. She’s asked for help rearranging the room several times. She moves the bed, bookcases, night table and desk around.

She’s chosen artwork for the walls and filled the room with jewelry, stuffed animals, dolls and roles of duct tape. The curtains have been switched for aqua ones and she has a large collection of pillows and throw blankets on her bed. The walls are still lavender.

The room created was a great start. She’s really made it her own. We’re so thankful our sweet little daughter has completed the room and our hearts! There isn’t much home renovation bigger than adding a child to a room!