I avoid using character themed bedding for my kids, but my sister-in-law always buys themed bedding. This post is all about the nitty-gritty of our different decisions.
I avoid character themed bedding to save money.
Children will outgrow their preferences before they wear out the sheets. Kids can flip-flop between their latest obsessions constantly. By using a generic bedding set I don’t have to worry about switching out my daughter’s bedding when her interests change.
When we moved Grace out of the nursery and into her new bedroom, we went with a purple theme. We bought a comforter from Ikea, but we didn’t find it in the kid’s section. I wanted to find something girly for her, but not little girly. Essentially, Grace could use the same bedding set through high school! Of course my goal isn’t to deprive my daughter from ever being able to update her room, but I appreciate knowing that she won’t “need” a room makeover soon because she no longer enjoys My Little Pony or Elmo.
Generic bedding sets can easily be used for multiple children. Kids enjoy different things. Duh. Not all boys enjoy Thomas the Train. Not all girls like Hello Kitty. Keeping things more generic makes it easier to pass bedding sets down from one kid to the next – even if they are the same gender!
Want to personalize your child’s bedroom to fit their current obsession without investing a lot of money in a bedding set?
- Put up a poster of your child’s favorite character.
- Use coordinating colors in the decorating. (Example: yellow sheets for a Sponge Bob fan)
- Make a character themed pillow case. For a fraction of the cost of a full bedding set you can buy a little fabric and make a pillow case or even throw pillow for the bed.
My sister-in-law, Christy, changes her children’s bedding sets more often than I plan to, but I think there are many reasons why character themed bedding works for her family.
My sister-in-law uses character themed bedding to bless her kids.
Christy is renting a property that doesn’t allow her to change the wall color. Her kid’s bedding is the main way that she can customize her kids’ rooms!
Her family has three boys. Each boy has different interests, but it is much easier for Christy to pass down sheets from one boy to the next. Plus if the boys ever decide they want to have something new, she can simply switch the bedding without buying something new.
Christy saves new bedding for special occasions. This past Christmas my sister-in-law and her husband gave new bedding sets to all three boys. What a great gift idea! Plus her boys know that they can’t get new themed bedding at the drop of the hat. It is something special.
Perhaps most importantly, my sister-in-law uses character themed bedding to validate her boys’ interest – even when it isn’t the norm. Christy’s middle son was in love with Dora the Explorer for a long time. Stores don’t sell “boy-ish” Dora bedding sets. That means his bedding set was pink and purple for a couple years and she was perfectly fine with that. Isn’t that great?
What kind of bedding do you buy for your kids? Do you buy something that you hope will last for several years or do you cater your purchase to your kid’s current interests?
