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Having your children share a bedroom isn’t a bad thing. In fact, it can have some benefits, such as helping them learn to share and becoming more empathetic. Some children will get on and have no trouble sharing a room, whereas others might have personality clashes that could make sharing a little harder.
Whether you simply don’t have enough rooms or you want to keep play and sleep rooms separate, having your children share a bedroom is possible, regardless of room size. As long as you are clever about it and have a good plan for how to achieve this, you can easily make a shared bedroom that all your children will love.
Though, be aware, as your children get older, they will crave more of their own space and it is advisable that they do have their own room, where possible, by ten years old, especially if they are different genders.
But for younger kids, here are four tips for creating a shared bedroom that your children will love:
1. Keep the Decor Neutral
If your children have different interests and personalities, finding a decor to suit can be difficult. And let’s not forget your kids’ interests can change quickly as they age. Therefore it’s best to stick to a neutral decor for the main part of the room. Keep it light and airy, so that it will work well with any personalisation your children add.
A neutral colour scheme will be gender neutral, so if you have separate sexes sharing it’s definitely important. A neutral colour can appeal equally to all children, no matter their age or interests. It also means that as they grow you won’t need to complete huge renovations to change the room as their interests change.
2. Let Them Have Their Own Space Within The Room
Even if your children are sharing a room, they still need their own space. For some children, they may need a definite divide such as a curtain, so that they can have privacy. Other children could just be happy with the area around their bed being ‘theirs’.
In their own space, give your child some freedom to decorate a little. Why not hang a cork board, so they can pin some things up? Or let them put posters on the wall. If they have a wooden bed you could even allow them to paint some of it. Let them choose their own bedding and allow their personality to shine through.
Make sure each child understands that the area for each child is their private space, no matter how young. Lay down the ground rules that they can’t just go into this space and take a toy or book. To go into their sibling’s personal space, they need permission. This will help to keep conflict to a minimum.
3. Cabin Beds Could Be The Answer
A great way to give your child more than just a bed as their own space is using cabin beds. These combine beds with storage, desks and/or seating. This will allow your children to have that extra bit of space and give them an area to house their own belongings. For older children, having a desk will also give them somewhere to do homework in peace.
4. Keep Everything Symmetrical
When sharing a room, symmetry is key, especially in smaller bedrooms. This way each child has the same amount of space that is ‘theirs’. In a small room, this could mean that each child literally has half the room each. In larger rooms, you could designate the middle of the room as the neutral play area.
Even if your children want to decorate their personal space differently and so have different furniture, try to keep it as equal as possible.
4. Storage, Storage, Storage!
Let’s face it, kids have a lot of stuff. Toys, clothes, school work. So it’s important that a shared bedroom has plenty of storage. Use any nooks and crannies that would otherwise be wasted. Also, if there is a neutral area in the room, implement a rule is that this must be kept tidy. That way bits and bobs won’t make their way to the wrong personalised space and cause arguments.
You could allow your children to have a bit of storage in their personal space, but you may also want an area for shared items. Whatever you decide, ensure that each child has an equal amount of storage. If you want the same furniture for all children in the room, opt for furniture that can be painted or comes in various colours. That way your children can still let their personality show.
Sharing a room can be good for young children, but it’s not always easy to get it right. To make sure your children love sharing a room, it’s important that everything is equal and that each child has privacy and space to be themselves.
