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Bedroom Ideas - Should You Share?

Try These Bedroom Ideas To Create Healthy Sibling Bonds

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When I heard of the family that has 19 children, my first question was...where do they all sleep? 

With just 2 kids in a 2 bedroom house, I feel lost for extra space.

The closets are overflowing, the toy boxes are overflowing, the bookcases are staggering under all that weight.

So figuring out the sleeping arrangements of the brother-sister monkey duo (they proudly announce that they are monkeys! Sighhh!) was a no brainer.

  • We only have the one additional bedroom.
  • We need soft beds so the monkeys don't hurt themselves while jumping (bunk beds are out of the picture - my heart wouldn't take it!)

I've been seriously considering a trundle bed instead. I love the idea of a daybed with trundle - it will save space in the small room during the day; give seating for friends and pull out for comfortable sleeping at night.

White Daybed with TrundleWhite Daybed with Trundle

I know some parents feel that your child is not getting adequate privacy, and that might hold true for teenage kids.

But for the younger ones, this can make for great memories of stories shared in the dark or of relief from knowing you are not alone.

Pros and Cons of Shared Kids Bedrooms.

We shall play the devil's advocate and weigh the pros and cons of siblings sharing bedroom. It will help you decide what will be best bedroom ideas for your kids.

Our research shows that most parents find the benefits of a shared room at an early age are manifold.

Pros:

  • Feeling of Security – young kids are afraid of the dark. The presence of another sibling gives them a sense of security and helps them relax.
  • Sensitivity to Others – Children in shared bedrooms learn to be flexible and sensitive to the feelings of others. With the right shared bedroom ideas, this can be a very healthy experience for them.
  • Deep Sibling Bond –spending these initial formative years in close proximity creates a special bond between siblings. This bond remains just as strong long after the two have gone their separate ways.
  • Benefits Future Relationships – Sharinga room leads each child to develop a positive attitude towards compromise, problem solving and listening to the other person. These can be crucial qualities in later years when they have to share rooms at college or with their spouse.

Cons:

  • Less Personal Space – naturally shared bedroom ideas signify less personal space. Privacy could be a concern at this point. (We have some great ideas to overcome this issue.)
  • Gender Trouble – young kids bedrooms can easily accommodate a brother and sister. However, as they grow older and more aware of themselves, you will have to address their privacy concerns more emphatically. Teaching the kids to respect each other’s privacy in such situations can prove useful to the kids in their later years.
  • Sibling Rivalry – as we all know, siblings WILL fight. In those moments of ‘I don’t want to play with her ever again’ and ‘Me neither’ each child needs some private space. This is a challenge if both kids are in the same room.
  • Age Agonies – if the age difference between your kids is large, getting them to share the same room and decorating it to the satisfaction of each would be a miracle. But if you could achieve it (and you could…with some help from us), it would be a great learning curve for both. The older kid would learn responsibility and sensitivity…while the younger one would find support and security.
Nantucket Kid's Wooden Table & 4 Chairs Set with Wainscoting DetailNantucket Kid's Wooden Table & 4 Chairs Set with Wainscoting Detail

2. An Additional Bedroom or a Separate Play/Study Room?

Even if your house boasts the additional room for the second child, consider the advantages of shared bedrooms.

Converting the other room into a playroom, as shown above (or study area as they grow older), allowing the children extra play area, is a cool option when decorating kids rooms.

If play dates are a norm, this would be an ideal way to keep the kids' bedroom private and, to a large extent, clean.

3. What if the Kids want Alone Time?

There are many times that even little children want their own space. Perhaps they have had a fight with another, want to read a book quietly, want to share a secret with a best friend…or just need to be left alone for a while.

Even in shared bedrooms, you CAN achieve a sense of privacy. Simply hang canopies over the beds, drop fancy curtains in the middle of the room, get a floor screen and room dividers or invest in bunk beds for kids.

Or think out of the box.

This gorgeous bookcase/display cabinet would be a great addition in a room if the age difference between your kids is large. 

The older sibling gets to keep his books or display his sports cups on the higher shelves; while the younger can showcase his lego creations and books on the lower shelves that are easier for him to reach.

Celio Three-Tier Bookcase/Display Cabinet in Matte WhiteCelio Three-Tier Bookcase/Display Cabinet in Matte White

4. Bedroom Ideas for Poor Sleeping Pattern or Allergies.

These might be few conditions in which you need to double check the feasibility of shared bedroom ideas for the kids.

  • Poor Sleeping Pattern – If you are planning to move the crib in with your toddler’s bed, consider the older kid’s sleeping pattern. 

If he is a poor sleeper and wakes with the crying baby, you might want to hold off the plans for shared quarters until the baby is a little older. It would be more feasible to move the crib into your own room instead.

  • Allergies - If one of the kids is prone to allergies or has any other chronic ailment, a separate bed is a must. 

His sheets will have to be cleaned more often and other considerations will have to be made to ensure that sharing the same room does not add to his discomfort.

Just as every child is unique, so every situation is unique. You need to weigh the pros and cons of shared bedrooms to find your perfect fit.

These bedroom ideas will help you find your way, but they are flexible…mold them, shape them, skip the ones that don’t apply to your situation.

It's important to Have Fun decorating kids rooms. As you see the sibling bonding increase, your guilt will disappear. There is a pot of gold sitting in your kids shared bedroom!

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Hi, I am Richa and am super excited to see you here. I enjoy interior designing so much I went back to study it. Now armed with knowledge, passion and a vision to make 'happy homes', I hope this site will give you all the tools you need to make your kid's room happy too.   Read More...