Interpreting Children's Drawings - The Meaning of the House and Its Parts.

Interpreting Children's Drawings - The Meaning of the House and Its Parts

Among the most common and fascinating topics for a child's drawing interpreter is the depiction of houses. These seemingly simple drawings often contain a wealth of information about the child's inner world, their feelings, and perceptions about the home and family.

Each part of the house has a meaning that teaches us about life at home from the perspective of the artist. The roof, the structure, the windows, cracks, the size of the house, its location, the space of the house, the floors, and the difference between the floors.

Sometimes you can clearly see in the drawing the exact location of the event.

Let's go on a journey and get to know the meanings of the house to its parts.

The Roof: Shelter and Security

One of the most important parts of interpreting house drawings is the roof. The roof of the household significant symbolism in the field of children's drawings. More than just a structural component, the roof represents feelings of shelter, protection, and security. A steep roof may indicate a strong sense of security and stability in the child's home environment, while a flat or modest roof may hint at feelings of insecurity or instability.

- Steep Roof: A steep roof with full coverage of the house, a strong roof, clearly often symbolizes a child's perception of safe and stable home life. A roof of this type radiates a sense of strength and protection, reflecting a child who feels safe and supported within his family unit. This may also indicate a positive relationship with authority figures, such as parents or caregivers, who provide a strong basis for the child's emotional well-being.

- Flat or Modest Roof: On the other hand, a flat roof or one that looks as if a heavy weight has fallen on it giving a feeling of physical pressure on the roof, may hint at basic feelings of insecurity or instability in the child's home environment. This can stem from various factors such as family disputes, economic struggles, or lack of emotional support. Children may use such descriptions as a subtle way to express their worries or anxieties about their life situation.

The Door: Entrance to the Inner World

The house door serves as a gateway between the outer world and the inner sanctum of the house. In children's drawings, the depiction of doors can offer important insights into their perceptions of boundaries, privacy, and interpersonal relationships. Furthermore, the shape of the door, the location and size of the handle, and the location and size of the peephole, are more signs that teach about the relationship system between the painter and those outside the house, the door teaches about the degree of the painter's desire to host at home.

- Closed Door: A closed door may symbolize a desire for privacy or a need to establish boundaries within the child's personal space. This could indicate a child who values his alone time or experiences feelings of withdrawal or isolation. Alternatively, a closed door could represent a sense of secrecy or concealment, suggesting that the child harbors hidden thoughts or feelings that they are not ready to share with others. A closed door can also teach about the way the child was educated about hospitality at home, and the degree of inclusion and acceptance of the other.

- Open Door: In contrast, an open door indicates a welcoming and accommodating attitude towards others. This may indicate a child with an open mind, sociable and eager to connect with the world around him. An open door can also symbolize a sense of invitation or opportunity, inviting others to enter the child's inner world and share in their experiences. But... it very much depends on the context of the drawing, an open door for prosperity can describe the need of the painter for someone to indeed enter into the house into his life in order to guard, supervise, balance. Usually, such a situation can come when the painter is already desperate and ready to expose everything in order to get help.

The Windows: Perspectives on the World

Windows are often considered the eyes of a house, the eyes of the soul and the feeling inside into the subconscious, quite a few things can be learned about the body's condition through the eyes, in Chinese medicine the eyes are an important and central organ. Iridology, is a whole theory of medicine through the eyes. The eyes offer a glimpse into the outside world and at the same time allow light to illuminate the inner space. In children's drawings, the presentation of the windows can reflect their viewpoint on the world around them, as well as their desires for connection and exploration of the world. The size of the window, its location in the house, on which floor its shape its strength. Like in the open door, there is a degree of exposure also in windows. The more the window is open or larger, there is a desire for exposure inside and out.

- Number of Windows: The number of windows depicted in a house drawing can offer hints about the level of curiosity and involvement of the child with the world. A house with many windows may suggest a child with an open mind and eager to explore new ideas and experiences. On the other hand, a house with few or no windows may indicate a more closed or introverted personality, someone who prefers to keep their thoughts and feelings private.

- Window Placement: The location of the windows within the house can also convey important information about the child's relationships and interactions with others. Windows facing the front of the house may hint at a desire for social connection and interaction with the outside world, while windows facing the back or sides of the house may indicate a more inward-focused or reserved personality.

When we look at a very high window there is a feeling of wanting to see far, but there is a possible message here, I want more people, from a greater distance to see what is happening in the house. 

We can get a hint about a specific room where a certain event took place or is taking place. Everything in relation to the drawn elements, if for example in a certain house large or whole and strong windows are drawn, but one window is very small, or a broken window relative to the other windows, there is a place for signaling, here is something different, come closer, try to see what is happening inside the house? What is happening inside the specific room?

- The Chimney: There is more information coming from parts of the house, the chimney for example is an important tool for information about the atmosphere inside the house. According to the intensity of the smoke, you can learn about what is happening inside the house, in chimneys where there is no smoke you can also learn about the silence of the painter.

* It is important to remember each time anew that nothing can be concluded based on one drawing alone, there is a danger in confirming the denial of the feelings or messages received. Therefore, there is a need to cross-reference additional information. A child's drawing interpreter, anyone who deals with interpreting children's drawings must behave with high professional responsibility. After all, we are dealing with the souls and feelings of children and youth.

Summary

In conclusion, interpreting the meaning of the details in children's house drawings offers a fascinating glimpse into their inner world, their feelings, and their perceptions. By paying close attention to elements like the roof, the door, and the windows, we can gain important insights into the child's feelings of security, boundaries, and involvement with the world around them. So the next time you encounter children's artwork, take a moment to look beyond the surface and open up the hidden stories within.

This article was written by Koby Avraham (M.A.) Social Change in the Arts. Expert in interpreting children's drawings