A child’s own bedroom is an important place: it is a space all their own, a refuge, an island where they can play, dream, and face the challenge of growing up, day after day.
Expectant parents must think, among other things, about preparing this special space for their son or daughter, which changes and grows with the child over the years: where there was once a crib, there will later be a desk, and posters of singers and actors will replace the stuffed animals…
When planning a room for little ones, it is also important not to forget the objects and features that, in a funny, friendly, and colorful way, begin to “speak of God” to children from their earliest years.
In this article, we would therefore like to offer you some ideas that could inspire you if you need to furnish a child’s bedroom or if you are looking for a gift idea for a couple of friends who are expecting a baby or have perhaps just moved house.
A particularly tender sign of “God’s watchful care” over newborn babies is the crib plaque: a small picture, usually made of silver or ceramic, depicting the Virgin Mary, the Holy Family, or an angel watching over the child… It is a sign that heaven looks lovingly upon our little boy or girl and watches over their sleep.
This same sweet function is served by the night-light, which, when it features a religious subject, takes on added significance.
Why not hang colorful small pictures showing an angel or Mary, or bearing a prayer on the walls, such as the Angel of God or the Our Father? In this way, children can look for them and pray, or simply always remember that they are loved and protected by heaven.
Magnets with charming designs depicting saints, the Holy Family, or angels can serve not only as decorative items but also as fun toys for children who, by having fun attaching and removing them, become familiar with their friends in heaven. Adorable stuffed animals with religious themes could serve the same purpose, teaching children to address Jesus and Mary informally from an early age, since they can hug them and play with them.
When the children grow up and begin to read, their bookshelf can be filled not only with fairy tales and comics, but also with books about God, Jesus and his love, the saints… In this way, they will discover a wonderfully radiant world!
“A child’s sermon in church is more beautiful than the priest’s, the bishop’s, or the Pope’s,” Pope Francis said when children were making noise during a homily. After all, Jesus himself says: “Let the children come to me.”
Let’s accept this invitation: let’s give our children a taste of heaven!
