How to handle children sharing rooms at home
Sometimes it’s unavoidable for children to share rooms, other times it’s just easier and believe it or not, there are also times, when sharing a bedroom is better for children! The most recent figures available from the Office for National Statistics put the number of overcrowded households in England and Wales at over one million with overcrowding most common in rented homes. So, while 16.1 million lucky households have at least one spare bedroom, there are plenty without.
It’s easy to feel guilty if your children aren’t able to have a bedroom of their own due to budget constraints and if there are tantrums at bedtime, sharing can become tense. However, in reality kids sharing rooms is very much a norm right across the world – in around 67 per cent of cultures kids sleep in shared bedrooms. If only we could say all of those children are happy with their sleeping arrangements! If your little ones share a room or you’re about to set up a room sharing arrangement for the first time and you want to ensure things stay as harmonious as possible, you’ll need these space sharing tips…
Plan out the space
One of the main issues that crops up when kids share rooms is that they don’t feel like they have a space to call their own and with bunk beds being a very popular space saving choice this is perhaps easy to understand. With a bit of thought, even a room with bunk beds can incorporate a little segregation. Consider supplying separate storage so that toys can be divided if preferred and double up on items like beanbags so there’s no need to fight over them.
Children of all ages can crave a little alone time, so think about creating an illusion of separation using bookcases or storage racks to split the room. You could also put a more obvious physical partition into the room – either in the form of temporary dividers such as curtains or a free-standing dressing screen. In a room with a little space, convenient bi-fold doors can be used to separate spaces and provide some privacy without blocking light.
If putting physical divisions into the room seems a step too far or too much hard work, you could use décor to define separate spaces instead. Allow the children to choose their own colour schemes or patterns to create distinct areas. Not only will this help the children feel like they have a space of their own and an impact on how it looks, it will also give them defined areas to head to should they need to cool off.
Take control of bedtime
Tantrums and disagreements have a tendency to occur at bedtime when children are at their most tired and can become easily agitated. Night time squabbles can quickly escalate and make room sharing something that everyone has to endure rather than enjoy. Putting the children to bed at different times can help you tackle this issue. In an ideal situation one child will have the time to settle in and nod off before the other enters the shared domain. Meanwhile, each child will have their own special time with their parents – either downstairs while the other is bedded in or in the bedroom, perhaps with a story before they sleep. Whatever routine you choose, you can try and get kids on board through incentivising. A star chart showing successful stress-free send offs can be used to encourage good behaviour at bedtime and unlock rewards or privileges.
Play up the positives
If you think back to your own child you may have many happy memories of sharing rooms with your siblings, why not share stories of these times with your own little ones? Sharing rooms can be fun and can benefit children in many ways. A room mate can be a friend who is on hand to listen to stresses or worries, younger children often feel protected by the presence of older siblings, older children enjoy being trusted to look out for younger ones and let’s not overlook the fact kids can keep each other company while they wait for you to get up in the morning! So, before you make excuses to your kids about why they have to share, don’t forget that there are times where they may well prefer it!
Do your children share a room? Is it something they enjoy or resent? How do you keep things harmonious and have you made any changes to the room to make it more sharing friendly?
2 Comments
girlavie.com
September 29, 2015 at 8:42 pm
These are some good tips. I used to hate sharing with my sister when we were younger. She's a heavy snorer and I'm a light sleeper :')
Hannah Latoya Bond
September 29, 2015 at 9:22 pm
I don't think sharing is a bad idea. It definitely saves on space, especially if you don't have any.