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August 2011 Moms
StefandTodd
member
Your thoughts on kids sharing rooms
StefandTodd
member
I have always envisioned that we would have our (hopefully 2, and hopefully close in age) kiddos share a room when the time comes (despite their sexes), and then they can move into their own rooms when they're old enough to care/ask to (as in, even having the space to separate them, I don't think I want to).
My H's cousin has a small older home and their two young kids (boy/girl) have a shared playroom, and a shared sleep room. So, they both share TWO rooms instead of having their own rooms. It was important to them that their children learn to share space.
I shared a room with my brother for most of my life, and even when we didn't share, he would often come into my room and sleep on the floor by my bed b/c he hated sleeping alone.
We're having this discussion on my local board (well, the fb off-shoot), and someone also posted this link: https://www.girlsgonechild.net/2011/02/on-still-sharing-bedrooms.html
Just thought it might be good conversation for around here. What are your thoughts? Will your/do your kids share a room? Did you share a room with your sibling(s)?
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Re: Your thoughts on kids sharing rooms
I never shared a room with my sister. Although, she had bunk beds in her room -- for what reason, who knows? But, I also had a day bed with a trundle. We often slept in the same room. She is 4 years younger than I.
My boys currently share a room. We have a 4 bedroom house. We take the Master, the cats have a room, the boys share a room and we have a 4th very large bedroom (think 2nd Master Suite). That 4th bedroom is their playroom. So, like your friends, they have two rooms to share between themselves.
I don't know when we'll separate them. We're not pressed for space, so we could do it at will. I would like them to share a room for as long as possible. I like the idea of them having to share. When they reach their pre-teens we may separate them if they are persistent enough in asking for their own space.
I'm definitely not against it, but I know growing up and sharing a room with my brother, I could not wait to get my own room. We were in bunk beds, and he was a little on the wild side and would be up playing all night or being loud and would cause me to miss sleep. We also argued when mom asked us to clean our room because my brother didn't want to help pick up my toys, and I didn't want to pick up his.
My children have their own rooms, and I am glad. My son at almost 4 years old is already very territorial and likes his own things and his stuff a certain way.
They do, however, have one large toy room downstairs that they happily share.
I never shared a room with my brother growing up, but we did have sleepovers where one would drag their sleeping bag to the other's room and we'd giggle and talk ourselves to sleep. It was sooo fun.
I'm not against it, the only thing that makes me hesitate is when the second is a baby-what if they are up several times a night? Does the older one wake up every time the baby does? How do middle-of-the-night feedings work, do you take the baby to a different room or stay in there and hope the older child doesn't wake up?
I shared a room with my sister until 8th grade when we moved into a bigger house and we all had our own rooms (brother was always alone). Playroom was shared.
Currently they kids share a room. Boy and girl but once we move 1-2 years they will have their own rooms, its a must for me since they are different genders. I think by age 5 they should not share anymore, JMO.
I live in a small 2 bedroom house, so if we have another baby, they would have to share a room.
I don't see a problem with sharing a room growing up, but once they get older and need privacy is where there may be an issue. I wouldn't want to sleep in the same room as a brother if I was a teenager, but a sister I may not care as much.
I grew up with 2 younger siblings, one brother, one sister. Our parents made sure we never had to share rooms and I think we all appreciated that. We did share a bathroom, and that was bad enough lol. We still did the "sleepovers" and they were always fun, but I loved having my own room and space.
Since I grew up that way, and so did DH, it was never a question. We won't make our kids share a room. The only way we would is if for some reason we end up having more than 2 kids (a big oopsie) and never get a 4 bedroom house. And even then, I don't really agree with having opposite sex sharing rooms past the age of 4 or 5. It just seems weird. I would have hated to share my brother's room.
I didn't and if I have two kids they won't either. I have smaller rooms too so to me it would seemed crammed with two beds--but this is prob because I am use a bigger room to myself when little.
I have nothing against it to a certain age or if space limits. One thing I may try is either designated family time or at least limiting time in their room. Rooms to me are more for sleeping, changing and time out. Otherwise if you are playing and dad is watching TV it is still good to be in the same room.
This was kind of our "rule" since we had our own rooms. I totally agree with this.
My brother and I always had separate rooms at or dad's house. At mom's, there were various room arrangements. I shared with my brother until 4th grade, shared with mom and brother in 5th grade, shared with a step-sister in 6th & 7th grade (my brother shared with a step-brother during that time), then shared with mom until I graduated high school. After the step-family, my brother got his own room because he is a boy and mom and I are girls. I think sharing a room with my brother helped us stay close. At dad's I would often go hop in bed with my brother (until maybe 3rd grade or so). It was nice to have my own room though.
If we have more kids, they will most likely have separate rooms. We have enough space in our home, and that would be the only reason I'd put siblings together. Although, if the kids ask to share a room, I doubt we'd be against it.
I agree
I shared a room all my life. Growing up my sister and I shared a room but usually my older brother and I usually ended up falling asleep together and my little brother and sister ended up in the same bed.
My kids share a room right now. I think it's good for them. The one night they kept each other up and giggled for an hour before going to sleep is the stuff memories is made of.
Interesting topic!
My sis and I shared a room until I was 22 and she was 19 and I moved out. We are lucky that we are the are the best, closest friends. We had some tough times as we got older, but didn't have anywhere else to go (little brother had the only other bedroom), so we made it work. If we have another girl, they will probably share a room and we'll see how they get along as time goes by. But if we have a boy, he will definitely have his own room.
Ugh, all this talk about setting up another baby room/bedroom is reminding me that our "spare" room is sky high with all the junk and furniture and crap that I shoved in there when we put together DD's nursery
I have 3 siblings: 2 brothers and a sister. It went me, B1, S, B2. I shared a room with a sibling from the time my mom was pregnant with S until I moved out 3 years ago. Even then, I shared a room with XH until he moved out last year. For the first time since I was a baby, I have my own room!
At first it was me and B1. Then S was moved in when my mom was pregnant with B2. Once he got old enough, they moved B1 in with him. S and I shared a room from then on. My parents have a 3 bedroom ranch starter home.