Whoa--is it really illegal for a boy and girl to share a room?

goodheartedmommy · November 2009

Is that a joke that I missed the sarcasm in?

Goose51504 · November 2009

It depends on the state. Jodi is in CT and they have some wacky rules. They also have a rule that the parents' bedroom must be on the same floor as their children's.

goodheartedmommy · November 2009

Uh, that's weird. I'm not a fan of bedrooms on a separate floor for younger children (for fire purposes), but that should be the discretion of a parent.

Ethan and Bella not only share a room, they share a bed. I doubt they'll still want to share a bed at 5 and 4, but for now, they share a bed.

Yodajo · November 2009

Goose51504:

It depends on the state. Jodi is in CT and they have some wacky rules. They also have a rule that the parents' bedroom must be on the same floor as their children's.

Really?! There are a lot of new construction homes here w/ first floor master bdrms.

Both those laws seem bizarre to me.

Goose51504 · November 2009

I know, it's totally weird. What's the big deal, kwim?

The only way I know anything about the CT laws is b/c my friends had to make sure they were compliant before they could adopt their second child. They actually coudn't adopt a little girl (like they'd hoped) the second time around b/c they only had two bedrooms upstairs and according to CT law, opposite sexed siblings cannot share a room.

Goose51504 · November 2009

Yodajo:
Goose51504:

It depends on the state. Jodi is in CT and they have some wacky rules. They also have a rule that the parents' bedroom must be on the same floor as their children's.

Really?! There are a lot of new construction homes here w/ first floor master bdrms.

Both those laws seem bizarre to me.

Yes. Again, according to friends who adopted. When they were going for #2 and tried to get a girl, they were told that they couldn't b/c a) the parents bedroom had to be on the same floor as the children (and they only had two bedrooms upstairs) and b) opposite sexed siblings could not share a room.

Now, whether that is only applicable to adopted children (I doubt it), I'm not sure. Either way, it's just bizarre.

ljlkm · November 2009

Goose51504:
I know, it's totally weird. What's the big deal, kwim?
The only way I know anything about the CT laws is b/c my friends had to make sure they were compliant before they could adopt their second child. They actually coudn't adopt a little girl (like they'd hoped) the second time around b/c they only had two bedrooms upstairs and according to CT law, opposite sexed siblings cannot share a room.

It is unique to adoption and where they're willing to place children. Some google research showed this regulation for "permanent family residences" under the Fire Safety regulations:

(d) Children under the age of five shall sleep on the same floor and in close proximity to the parents unless protected by a monitoring system approved by the Department.

Goose51504 · November 2009

And, I think it's also not so much "laws," but guidelines. Most states would have no idea of your children's sleeping arrangements, unless they were adopted or fostered or if CPS was involved in some capacity. I don't think the average sheriff's deputy is going to come knocking on your door just b/c your pre-pubescent children are sharing a room/bed.

jessicaclare · November 2009

I know there are municipalities in Wisconsin that have ordinances like that. Its not state law or anything, but its up to the discretion of the city.

Mickschick · November 2009

I'd be screwed. All 3 of my kids share a room at the moment. And it's not b/c we don't have the room; we do.. it's just that I'm in the middle of tearing down wallpaper and painting the smaller room so the boys can have the bigger room and I ran into a few problems... however; we're considering keeping the smaller room as a playroom for a couple of years and letting all the kids sleep in one room b/c they actually sleep better when they are all in the same room.

PearlieGirl'sMom · November 2009

My old-coworker kept telling me that in NJ it was illegal for a boy and girl to share a room and I thought that was crap. Maybe she is right? Maybe it would be wierd at an older age... but itsn't that being hyperparanoid?

Jodi&Joe · November 2009

In CT, yes it is.

And if your children are in school, and they say they are sharing a room with their sibling, and the teacher knows the sibling is the opposite gender, they can (and probably should) report it. Since it is breaking the law.

I'm not sure what they would do in this scenario -- I highly doubt you would get your kid taken away for them sharing a room with their sibling. But you just never know. Stranger things have happened and people like to make a big stink about EVERYTHING now-a-days.