If you have children, you are fully aware of the stage of independence. All of a sudden, your little one has a voice–and it’s one that needs to be listened to. When it comes to decorating your home, you may not feel comfortable with them giving input in the entire decorating process, and that’s okay. You should, however, try to give them creative freedom in smaller doses–like the bedroom. Being able to have some input on their personal space will not only make them feel like a valued member of the family, it’ll also make them a much happier child. Here are some ways you can give your child creative freedom (while still maintaining a little control).

Let them choose the color palette. Ultimately, you have the final say, but there’s really no harm in letting your child pick the colors for their room. Take a trip together to the hardware store and let them choose their favorite paint swatches. It’s almost a guarantee that he or she will hand you some crazy colors–but that’s okay. Have them narrow it down to their top three and work from there. If the color is way over the top, pull a few toned down swatches of their top choices, telling them those brighter colors can be brought in with a wall mural, painted furniture, or accents.

Fabric choices also fall into the realm of the color palette. Take a fun trip to the fabric store, letting your little one point out some of their favorites. Since they’ll be the one spending the most time in the space, it’s important that they have fabrics they enjoy. To make things easier narrow down a variety of textures, patterns, and colors for them to choose from.

Skip the themes. Sure, themes can be cute and fun, but they don’t leave you much room for change. Instead of letting your child decorate their room top to bottom in a theme, guide them to pick small theme-like things as a compromise. Get that pillow with an airplane or princess crown on it, or hang an animal or superhero poster on the wall. This will give them much more room for creativity and flexibility in the long run.

Allow them to display things they like to look at. As long as it’s appropriate, and as long as there’s enough wall space, nothing is really off limits. Names displayed with wooden letters, favorite cartoon characters, handmade collages, sports memorabilia, bowls of collected rocks–these are just some of the ways they can let their personalities shine.

When it’s all said and done, you’ll have one happy kid and the satisfaction of knowing that they are truly pleased with their space.