Siblings Sharing A Bedroom

Siblings sharing a bedroom is very common, can work very well and helps with sibling bonding. It largely depends on the ages of the children and their personalities. Some children love sharing a bedroom and enjoy the companionship and privacy of their private chats - with no adults present! Others simply want their own space and private room, especially as they get older.

Pros of siblings sharing a bedroom

• Getting ready for bed: both can get ready for bed together which is helpful as seeing one get ready for bed helps the other follow
• Companionship: as the lights go off let them chat quietly for a while. Hearing their giggles and singing will be memorable and heart warming!
• Security: they are together whilst their parents are elsewhere
• Learning to take care: when siblings share a room they need to take care with their siblings belongings
• Learning to share: by sharing the bedroom they are learning to share their space as well as respect other people's space
• Caring: generally your children will be in close proximity and want to care for the other and make sure they are okay
• Space: there's more room in the rest of the house!
• Responsibility: the older sibling may really enjoy the responsibility of sharing with their younger brother or sister and may enjoy helping your little one do things. Likewise, your little one will want to copy the older one!
• Safety: it's easier for you to check on the children in the same bedroom.
• More sleep for you: in the mornings they can play quietly together instead of waking you up!

Cons of siblings sharing a bedroom:

• If one child is a light sleeper they may be woken by the other
• As they grow they may want more privacy though this could be years away
• They may keep each other awake at night with their playing. Although this comradeship is a positive aspect it will need your discipline about saying it's sleep time!

How to make sharing a bedroom work

• Make it fun and show the positives
• If one is a noisy sleeper consider adding white noise such as a fan to hide the sound. However, often if children share a room, they will be get used to the noises around them and gradually the noise will not disturb them.
• If one child goes to bed earlier than the other make it part of the normal bedtime routine. For example, the younger child goes to bed and sleep, whilst the older one has quiet play time downstairs or draws or reads in bed.
• Arrange the room so that they each have their own areas.
• Make their bedroom a children's haven so that they can enjoy lots of special times.
• Encourage your children to keep their shared bedroom tidy so that there is always enough space simply to play and relax.
• Have two dim bedside lamps so that the older sibling is still able to turn his own light off and on if he needs to.
• If one of the children want their own privacy can you use a room partition or arrange the furniture as if they have two separate areas.
• Agree boundary rules if necessary and age appropriate.
• If two siblings have different temperments see how you can talk to them so that they can both make allowances for the other.

If you are thinking of your children sharing a bedroom then try it for a few months. If your children are fairly young they are likely to enjoy the comradeship and the sibling bonding, and you are likely to enjoy hearing them together!