Elementary age brother and sister sharing a room!

[Anonymous]

5yo boy and 10 yo girl are going to be sharing a room (in a very small house), possibly for the next five years. I'm looking for advice from those who have experience with this.
Thanks!

[Anonymous]

So, when your DD is 14 she will still be sharing a room with her 9 yr old brother? Tough situation. I shared a room with my older brother till I was about 9 and he 12. Once puberty hits, less embarrasing for kids to share a room.

I understand if you have zero choice, though. Is there another room you could convert that your DS could sleep in?

[Anonymous]

Is there a way to cordon it off with a room divider or sheets so each get a private space?

[Anonymous]

Jack and Diane share a cute room on Blackish on ABC.

[Anonymous]

I shared a room with 3 brothers. My sister came every other weekend. Honestly, it wasn't that big of a deal. We had bunk beds and the only thing the room was used for was sleep. This idea of kids needing their own rooms is a luxury of an affluent society. We found ways to have privacy when needed. Doesn't matter if it's same sex siblings sharing a room or opposite sex. My 3 kids (2 boys/1 girl) share a room. The oldest is in HS, younger two in MS.

For our kids, we got bunk beds (same beds my brothers and I used!). I got some sheer curtains, some PVC pipe and I 'curtained' the bunk beds. Kinda looks like mosquito netting. Each kid has shelf/table that holds a clock/tissue/water bottle. Each kid has a bed lamp clamped to the headboard, similar to this https://www.google.com/search?q=clamp+light+for+headboard&rlz=1CAHPZY_enUS572US572&espv=2&biw=1366&bih=678&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiEju7p88HRAhUC5SYKHVYJAYcQ_AUIBygC#imgrc=se8Qk3wGeJek7M%3A. The lamp is such that it shines only on the kid who wants it - it doesn't disturb the other kids.

The kids will lay on their beds, listen to music (thru headphones) or read a book on their bed but not much else. They've figured out how to get 'space' in our house that's not necessarily a bedroom. We have a homework table elsewhere in the house, kids aren't allowed to have laptops in their bedrooms, we have a cubby/staging area next to the homework table where backpacks, etc. go. That helps cut down on the clutter/junk. Definitely no TVs in the bedroom.

Do my kid wish they had their own rooms? Sure, they do. So did I growing up but it just wasn't going to happen. You know what was worse than sharing a room? Sharing a single bathroom! My kids have it so much better! We've got 2 bathrooms!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Jack and Diane share a cute room on Blackish on ABC.

Jack and Diane are twins. OP's kids are 5 years apart.
LOVE Blackish!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I shared a room with 3 brothers. My sister came every other weekend. Honestly, it wasn't that big of a deal. We had bunk beds and the only thing the room was used for was sleep. This idea of kids needing their own rooms is a luxury of an affluent society. We found ways to have privacy when needed. Doesn't matter if it's same sex siblings sharing a room or opposite sex. My 3 kids (2 boys/1 girl) share a room. The oldest is in HS, younger two in MS.

For our kids, we got bunk beds (same beds my brothers and I used!). I got some sheer curtains, some PVC pipe and I 'curtained' the bunk beds. Kinda looks like mosquito netting. Each kid has shelf/table that holds a clock/tissue/water bottle. Each kid has a bed lamp clamped to the headboard, similar to this https://www.google.com/search?q=clamp+light+for+headboard&rlz=1CAHPZY_enUS572US572&espv=2&biw=1366&bih=678&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiEju7p88HRAhUC5SYKHVYJAYcQ_AUIBygC#imgrc=se8Qk3wGeJek7M%3A. The lamp is such that it shines only on the kid who wants it - it doesn't disturb the other kids.

The kids will lay on their beds, listen to music (thru headphones) or read a book on their bed but not much else. They've figured out how to get 'space' in our house that's not necessarily a bedroom. We have a homework table elsewhere in the house, kids aren't allowed to have laptops in their bedrooms, we have a cubby/staging area next to the homework table where backpacks, etc. go. That helps cut down on the clutter/junk. Definitely no TVs in the bedroom.

Do my kid wish they had their own rooms? Sure, they do. So did I growing up but it just wasn't going to happen. You know what was worse than sharing a room? Sharing a single bathroom! My kids have it so much better! We've got 2 bathrooms!

This was my life growing up as well! 5 kids but we had the luxury of a 2nd 1/2 bathroom. Now my boys share a room and my DD has the privilege of her own room. Similarly - we have homework table outside of bedrooms.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Jack and Diane share a cute room on Blackish on ABC.

Jack and Diane are twins. OP's kids are 5 years apart.
LOVE Blackish!

Does it matter?

They don't have privacy curtains.

Just use the room for sleeping and storing clothing.

Two beds, two dressers, split the closet and put a nightstand between the beds.

What do you think families in NYC do? Europe? Anyplace where families squeeze into tiny apartments?

[Anonymous]

I'm female. Shared a bedroom with my brother (20 months younger) all the way through college. No choice there.

Our parents gave us the master bedroom so it was bigger, and set it up with tall desks (think desks with shelves attached) and shelves all the way down the room. Whoever had the half closest to the door had less privacy but we eventually solved that with a sheet tacked to the ceiling.

The "wall" between the two halves ended about two feet below the ceiling.

We would have killed each other without that separation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm female. Shared a bedroom with my brother (20 months younger) all the way through college. No choice there.

Our parents gave us the master bedroom so it was bigger, and set it up with tall desks (think desks with shelves attached) and shelves all the way down the room. Whoever had the half closest to the door had less privacy but we eventually solved that with a sheet tacked to the ceiling.

The "wall" between the two halves ended about two feet below the ceiling.

We would have killed each other without that separation.

Dangerous. Easy to knock over a large bookcase/shelves.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I shared a room with 3 brothers. My sister came every other weekend. Honestly, it wasn't that big of a deal. We had bunk beds and the only thing the room was used for was sleep. This idea of kids needing their own rooms is a luxury of an affluent society. We found ways to have privacy when needed. Doesn't matter if it's same sex siblings sharing a room or opposite sex. My 3 kids (2 boys/1 girl) share a room. The oldest is in HS, younger two in MS.

For our kids, we got bunk beds (same beds my brothers and I used!). I got some sheer curtains, some PVC pipe and I 'curtained' the bunk beds. Kinda looks like mosquito netting. Each kid has shelf/table that holds a clock/tissue/water bottle. Each kid has a bed lamp clamped to the headboard, similar to this https://www.google.com/search?q=clamp+light+for+headboard&rlz=1CAHPZY_enUS572US572&espv=2&biw=1366&bih=678&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiEju7p88HRAhUC5SYKHVYJAYcQ_AUIBygC#imgrc=se8Qk3wGeJek7M%3A. The lamp is such that it shines only on the kid who wants it - it doesn't disturb the other kids.

The kids will lay on their beds, listen to music (thru headphones) or read a book on their bed but not much else. They've figured out how to get 'space' in our house that's not necessarily a bedroom. We have a homework table elsewhere in the house, kids aren't allowed to have laptops in their bedrooms, we have a cubby/staging area next to the homework table where backpacks, etc. go. That helps cut down on the clutter/junk. Definitely no TVs in the bedroom.

Do my kid wish they had their own rooms? Sure, they do. So did I growing up but it just wasn't going to happen. You know what was worse than sharing a room? Sharing a single bathroom! My kids have it so much better! We've got 2 bathrooms!

I don't get parents who put all the kids in one room when they have 3-4 bedroom homes. It seems very selfish to me. If you can afford it, you should move and at least separate by gender.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Jack and Diane share a cute room on Blackish on ABC.

Jack and Diane are twins. OP's kids are 5 years apart.
LOVE Blackish!

Does it matter?

They don't have privacy curtains.

Just use the room for sleeping and storing clothing.

Two beds, two dressers, split the closet and put a nightstand between the beds.

What do you think families in NYC do? Europe? Anyplace where families squeeze into tiny apartments?

Except we are not in NYC or Europe.

[Anonymous]

My high school boyfriend was very poor and shared a room with his brother AND sister all the way till college. Somehow they all survived.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Jack and Diane share a cute room on Blackish on ABC.

Jack and Diane are twins. OP's kids are 5 years apart.
LOVE Blackish!

Does it matter?

They don't have privacy curtains.

Just use the room for sleeping and storing clothing.

Two beds, two dressers, split the closet and put a nightstand between the beds.

What do you think families in NYC do? Europe? Anyplace where families squeeze into tiny apartments?

Except we are not in NYC or Europe.

So? If you only have one bedroom for multiple kids, it's the same scenario as NYC or Europe. Or are you intimating that we have different rules when it comes to sharing bedrooms in the DMV?

[Anonymous]

So what advice do you need? Done almost everywhere else in the world. They will learn privacy and how to manage it. My cousins, brother and sister, two years apart, shared a room until 20. There was no issue ever. Separate beds, they worked it out on their own.