Lesson 39 - New bedrooms are better if you help build them yourself

We began the process of preparing Liam's new bedroom over the summer months, as Lily will be taking over his old nursery. Liam has been involved in every step of the construction process.

We decided to move our laundry room and expand an office area to create a nice sized bedroom. The laundry area had a sloping floor, so we had to even out the floor to get it ready for carpet. Liam helped clean up the area as we prepared to pour a new floor.

We also had to remove the old door to the laundry room and Sheetrock over the hole it left. Liam loved using the crowbar to help tear out the old door frame. It has become one of his favorite toys.

The old laundry room shared a wall with a bathroom, so we decided to create a door from Liam's new bedroom into the bathroom. Liam was fine with the pint-sized door, but we thought a full-size door would be prudent.

We built a set of bookshelves and cabinets into a wall space that allows for easy access to our main sewer clean out. Liam saw me use the screwdriver to attach the bookshelves, and still goes to the bookshelves anytime he is given a screwdriver to play with. This is also when the headlamp became a necessary item for any "work" he does.

Still wearing the headlamp as he cuts trim with he great-great-great-grandfather's mitre box. This mitre box has been used to cut trim for at least six generations, and was likely used to help build the church where he was baptized.

Happy boy with his headlamp still working on the bookshelves.

Liam has become very cognizant of what is needed for a project. I was working on putting the light fixture in his closet, and he brought me a handful of wire nuts without prompting. He must have seen me use them in other electrical projects.

Finishing up the trim on the built-in bookshelves/cabinets. There are a few extra dents in the trim. His fine motor skills have become very good, as he can now hit a nail repeatedly.

Liam has even become an accomplished painter. The little brush is the type you would use for watercolors. He would dip his brush very gingerly into the paint can and just paint away.

Part of the finished product. Annie bought the little workbench on the right at a garage sale. He loves it. It allows him to keep working on the room he has been helping build over the past few months. The transition to the new room was smooth and without any complaints from Liam. When asked, "Where is baby Lily's room?," he points to his old nursery. New bedrooms are better when you get to help build them yourself.