Beige Rejection: Can Neutral Shades Drive you Crazy
Child psychologists are not advised to focus on the taste and color of the so-called beige mothers. The range of neutral shades limits kids' perception of the world, interferes with the normal development of the brain, and adults can even drive them crazy. Why bright colors are necessary, how pastel colors affect the psyche and how "beige" children grow up — in the material of Izvestia.
When a child begins to distinguish colors
Psychologist Anna Guseva believes that the task of a mother is to give the child the world in all its diversity, and not to limit the baby, in particular, to neutral shades. This applies even to the period of pregnancy, when the perception of the world between mom and baby is the same. From the point of view of perinatal psychology, everything that a mother sees, hears and feels, she unconsciously transmits to her child. Color is given great importance in all cultures.
— For example, if we turn to the traditions of China and Japan, then when we found out that a woman was in a position, we tried to surround her with beautiful flowers, and our loved ones shared bright, positive emotions with her, — says the psychologist.
According to Guseva, when a baby is born, he does not see or hear well for the first 20 days, but he feels his mother and her emotional state very well.
— During this period, a variety of colors are more important for the woman herself. They stimulate the mother, not the child. For example, the red color mobilizes attention, signals danger, activates the alarm system. Green is nature, naturalness, and pink regulates the emotional background and promotes relaxation," the expert comments.
The psychologist explained to Izvestia that, according to the neuropsychology of child development, an infant begins to actively perceive colors around five months of age.
— It is during this period that the brain forms primary connections with visual stimuli and emotional response to them. And therefore, the color palette is not just an aesthetic choice, but also an important moment in the formation of neural connections and cognitive flexibility," explains Anna Guseva.
According to the psychologist, it is no coincidence that after birth, boys are given blue and blue clothes, and girls are given pink.
— Delicate pink is quite soft and feminine, while blue and light blue colors activate areas associated with imagination and abstract thinking, with determination. But everything should be in moderation. Therefore, these colors are diluted with others — light green, shades of yellow," the expert explains.
Colors help a little person to explore and perceive the world around them, Guseva emphasizes. For example, orange is a mood color, it stimulates interest and curiosity, and green motivates learning and encourages creativity.
— And, of course, if the interiors are decorated exclusively in neutral, muted tones, then the world seems to be discolored. This is followed by sensory deprivation, a decrease in sensitivity to visual stimuli. The lack of bright colors can make it difficult for a child to form basic associations: the sun is yellow, the sky is blue, and the grass is green. Disruption of these connections can affect memory, emotional regulation, and visual safety," says the psychologist.
According to the expert, the monotonous sterile environment leads to some limitations in the perception of the world. Especially if he is protected from bright, joyful colors by his mother, a person who, in theory, should give him diversity.
— In the future, children's emotional responsiveness decreases, socialization becomes more difficult. Mom, by limiting the palette according to the new fashion trends, builds limited connections between colors and objects, complains Anna Guseva
Why is beige in fashion?
Interior designer and mother of two Tatiana Pivkina explained to Izvestia that beige is a combination of yellow, brown and gray colors, a whole range that includes a wide variety of shades, from ivory to khaki.
— None of the shades of beige can be flashy. It does not attract attention, it calms and relaxes. In psychology, the love of beige is associated with the desire for peace and comfort at home, as well as an attempt to hide mental anxieties, worries, and stress. The sand scale is preferred by introverts, non—confrontational and kind people with developed intelligence, lovers of reading and philosophical reflection, - says Tatiana Pivkina.
According to the expert, in most cases people choose shades of beige for their interior because this color is easy to combine with others. Beige tones are neutral for perception and are liked by almost everyone.
— As the basis of the interior, pastel shades are ideal. They favorably emphasize accent colors, as well as details in the interior. Again, beige includes a combination of yellow and brown colors, and these are shades of fire, that is, warmth, life, and safety. Therefore, psychologically beige shades have a calming effect on people," the designer continues.
But you can't limit the design of an apartment to neutral shades only. From the designer's point of view, bright details and elements are definitely needed, especially in children's rooms. It is wrong to create interiors for kids that are completely designed in beige, even if the customer insists on it.
— There is a rule in design: a certain color palette is chosen for a project, it is used in different rooms of an apartment or house, and in children's rooms these colors are taken several tones brighter. Because children perceive bright colors better — they understand them better," says Pivkina.
It is no coincidence that children's drawings are always filled with bright colors and energy, the designer emphasizes.
"I recently met with Russian manufacturers of photo wallpapers for children," the expert continues. — I was pleasantly surprised that they involved a child psychologist and an artist to develop a new collection. The specialists jointly developed cute, colorful plots, and the artist painted them in watercolor. These wallpapers convey an atmosphere of warmth and care. And you can spend hours looking at and composing fairy tales based on them," Tatiana Pivkina continues.
How to preserve mental health
The designer refutes the widespread opinion that beige interiors are easier to assemble, even if a layman takes over.
— Usually people buy everything "beige" in the same color and texture. The room is filled with furniture, and there is nothing to catch the eye. Everything is the same. To make it really comfortable for a person to stay in such an interior for a long time, specialists use finishing materials, furniture, decorative items of various textures (smooth, soft, rough), textures (stone, wood), shapes and volumes. Then the interior will look harmonious and balanced," says Tatiana Pivkina.
A featureless, monotonous room is tiring and even annoying no less than an apartment with bright, flashy walls and interior items. The human brain is designed in such a way that we constantly read information from the outside world, even if we have known everything in our apartment for a long time, explains the designer.
— The gaze glides over the objects in the room, the wallpaper, examines cute trinkets. We touch the upholstery of the sofa, the pillow, and this also relaxes us. And if a person spends a long time in a room, professionally speaking, "not balanced in the right way," then he may have a depressive disorder, mental health problems, warns Tatiana Pivkina.
What was Dr. Spock wrong about?
The psychologist recalls that in the nineties, Spock's teaching was popular, based on non-standard conclusions about the behavior of a baby. For example, the author did not recommend picking up children often, and considered crying as a way of manipulating parents.
Over time, many parents abandoned Dr. Spock's principles and came to the conclusion that his teaching was far from ideal. But a holy place is never empty. One theory is always replaced by another. Now, a trend with a color scheme has come to modern moms from social networks and fashion bloggers' channels, the psychologist complains.
— The ideal picture from the life of "beige moms" creates unrealistic expectations — stylish images of children, a well-thought-out interior ... In 20 years, as with Spock's teaching, an assessment will be given to "beige" motherhood. But now we can say that it is important for a woman not to succumb to fashion trends, but to enjoy all the colors herself and convey to the child the diversity of the world, rather than discolor it," emphasizes Anna Guseva.
Fashionable "beige moms" often choose quality over quantity, the expert believes. Instead of creating a color and quantitative variety of toys, wardrobe and interior items, they limit the child to a minimum of expensive items of a strict palette.
"From the height of my experience as a perinatal psychologist, I can advise mothers to give their children the full joy of choice, not to limit them, especially at a time when the child is trying to touch and feel everything," the expert urges.
Life is far from the ideal lines of digital space. The psychologist advises young parents to read special literature written by professionals, attend courses for pregnant women, and not draw inspiration from other people's pictures of a beautiful life.
Переведено сервисом «Яндекс Переводчик»
