Have any of your kids shared a room for a year or more?

[Tap]

Dd10 and I were talking about this tonight so I figured I would ask.

 

Have any of your kids shared a room for a year or more?

I am only going to allow a "yes, they have had to share (or will have)" or a "no, they don't have to share (or will not have to)" and you can decide which is closest, because I figure everyone will be an "other" :0) because situations change. I know every child is different, and it was different when the subsequent children came along.

 

 

 

If they only share by choice or for a shorter time (less than year) you can decide which to choose.

[battlemaiden]

All seven of my children are currently sharing a room. They will be this way for at least two years. Three boys together, three girls together, and the baby with me. I wish I could give the older kids their own room for reading purposes, but alas, we don't have that luxury.

 

Prior to this house we had the four oldest together in a largish "bunk room".

 

Jo

[Laura Corin]

They did fine with it, but Calvin is glad to have his own room now; I don't think Hobbes cares much one way or the other.

 

Laura

[Faline]

Yes, my boys have shared since birth, and my girls have shared since birth. I plan to let it that way until someone just can't stand it! So far they haven't even asked for their own room, even though we do have an extra bedroom.

[Night Elf]

My daughters, ages 10 and 16, shared a room for almost a year by choice. My dd10 just returned to her own room in November. Neither really like to be alone. My dd10 isn't sleeping well and I think she misses being with her sister. I think they're going to start having overnights again, but without actually moving all their stuff in one room together.

 

My ds12 shared a room with his younger sister for about 6 months and didn't really care for it. He's a major introvert and prefers being alone most of the time.

[Jumping In Puddles]

My kids shared a room since birth until about 6 months ago. They much, much prefer sharing a room.

 

For the first month, my son would actually pull his mattress off his bed and drag it into his sisters room. Even now, when I wake up in the morning, sometimes I'll find him under his blanket on his sister's floor!

 

Even during the day, they either play in his room or her room, they almost never play separately in their own rooms!

[Karenciavo]

My older two shared for 11 years even though we had an extra bedroom, I think sharing bedrooms is a good thing. Now they all have their own rooms.

[LaxMom]

My three share a room. They wanted bunk beds. So, Bailey (7) sleeps in the top, single, bunk and the boys (4) sleep in the lower, double, bunk. They've shared for... about 18 months. I voted "no", though, because they don't have to share, we do have another, albeit tiny, bedroom, that used to be Bailey's when my eldest still lived at home. Now, it's a junk/guest room.

 

ETA: oops, the boys have actually only slept in there for a little less than a year. We've had the bunk bed in there for 18 months, but they weren't ready to move out of our room for a while after we got it.

Edited December 29, 2008 by MyCrazyHouse

[The Girls' Mom]

My twins have always shared a room. And unless we move, they will continue to share until the oldest moves out ;) They wouldn't have it any other way though. They still sleep in the same bed. They have a bunk bed, but choose to sleep in the same bunk.

 

My oldest has never had to share, and I think that she'd be miserable if she had to now!

[chickenpatty]

We have 3 boys in one room, 3 girls in the other. I'm fairly certain it will always be like this.

[JudoMom]

My guys share 2 bedrooms. Officially it's ds9 & ds3 in a room together, and ds8, ds6, & ds4 in a room together, but where they sleep varies. I can't remember when my older 2 started sharing, but I'm guessing it was around the time ds6 was born, so they would have been almost 3 & nearly 2.

[amyable]

We've had all sorts of combinations - right now we have the oldest dd with her own room, three girls in the other bedroom, and the baby in with us. We hope to move to a 4+ bedroom soon and will have two girls in each bedroom, our son in his own room, and dh and I back as roomies. :)

[Donna]

My boys have always had to share a room. Before dd came along the other bedroom was used as a playroom/computer room and now it is dd's bedroom.

[TravelingChris]

My daughters had to share a room in three houses from the time they were almost 4 and the other six months old to the time when the oldest was 12 and the younger was 9.5. I am so glad that they don't have to share anymore. They don't have similar personalities nor similar sleeping patterns or cleaning habits. I had to share a room with my sister from the time she was born and I was three to the time I left for college (18.5). I hated it since again we had different personalities and different cleaning preferences.

 

I didn't even consider having them share rooms at this point. Fortunately we have moved into a large house and it is so much more peaceful. My two daughters and at opposite ends of the house and don't bother each other.

[PariSarah]

. . . to share much at all, ds10 started sharing a room with the baby last year. He's been very sweet about it.

[TwinMominTX]

I didn't answer the poll as I couldn't find a choice that fits. My twins who are 7 share a room (mostly) by choice even though they could have their own rooms - we have an extra bedroom.

[Quiver0f10]

My oldest Dd had her own room for the first 14 months of her life until her brother was born. Since then my kids have all shared a room one way or another. Now that my DD is 20 she does have her own room, but the other 9 still share( 3 oldest boys in one, 4 "little" boys in another, 2 girls in one and Dd in hers) and I don't see it changing unless we win the lottery or something :D

Edited December 29, 2008 by Quiver0f10

[Tracey in TX]

Five children and occasional foreign exchange students, YES!, they have had to share. Currently everyone has their own room, but DDs might share again to allow DH space for a home office.

 

Honestly, they've shared and swapped roommates most of their lives. It's healthy for them to share, but SO much better for me when they don't (no all-night parties :)).

[5knights3maidens]

Yes, all my children share EXCEPT, oldest dd. She has a room by herself. Now, this room is only accessible by walking through the bathroom and you have to go through hers to get to K & A's bedroom. You also have to go through hers to get to the laundry roon. So, it's not as private as it should be.

[Renee in NC]

Until we moved, I had 4 dc in one room and 2 in the other. Now, 2 of them have their own rooms and the others are 2 to a room (the boys will soon add baby in when he is 9 months or so.)

[BamaTanya]

and a bedroom for the 3 boys. The girls (at present) are getting along better than the boys. I'm hoping the boys will grow up to be peacemakers someday! :001_rolleyes: Actually, though, they are great buddies at night and won't EVER stop talking!

 

After reading Snickel's answer, I thought I'd add that we HAVE before found all 5 piled together in the bottom (full-size) bunk bed. Like a litter of puppies, I always say.

Edited December 29, 2008 by BamaTanya

[snickelfritz]

We have:

1. Master bedroom

2. Girls Bedroom

3. Toy/Game room

4. A VERY small spare room--possible future baby room or an office?

 

Theoretically, there are enough rooms for 3 kids to have their own room. But, they would lose a toy room. So, we'll have to see what ends up happening. Right now, they LIKE sleeping together. Sometimes, they even end up in the same bed.

[Haiku]

My son and daughter share a room. They have for four years and will continue to until my oldest moves out or she and my younger daughter decide to share.

 

Tara

[RebeccaS]

No choice here. We have 7 people and 3 bedrooms. We've got three girls in the bigger room and the boys in the smaller room. They do fine with it so far.

[5Youngs]

We have 4 bedrooms.

One is full of toys and an awesome set of 5 x 5 lockers that I found at a garage sale.

Our 11yo son has his own room and our 10 and 5 yo sons have bunkbeds in another room.

They were both constantly asking for someone to sleep with them, so we put their bunks in the same room.

That was 3 yrs ago, and they haven't asked to separate, so we'll keep it as it is.

[mommaduck]

They share. We have boys in one room, 2 girls in one room, 2 girls in another, and the baby with us. However, we have an extra set of bunks in one of the girls rooms and the girls have been choosing to all sleep in one room as that is what they were used to. So, since there are enough beds, they have an option.

[jamnkats]

My kids have never had their own room. When we lived in the US, in a stick house, (we currently live in Mexico in a trailer and a palapa) they had a communal playroom. The 7yo and 9yo still sleep with us and the 12yo and 14yo are in bunkbeds.

[Doran]

Our girls were in separate rooms until they were 10 and 12. It just worked out that way, even in our little farm cottage (less than 1000 sq. ft.), there were three bedrooms, one for each girl, and one for me and dh. When we moved from there in April '07, we took a rental home with only two bedrooms. We thought we only stay here about six months. Clearly, things did not happen that way. :001_rolleyes:

 

So, our girls, now 12 and 14, are sharing a room. If they had an opportunity to have separate rooms, I think they'd jump at the chance (certainly the teenager would!), but they are also doing quite well as roommates. Almost surprisingly well, I must say. You just never know how it will go until you try.

[Amber in SJ]

We are a 6 person family with 3 bedrooms; everybody shares! Before our ds (3) was born the three girls shared a room and the other bedroom was a playroom/ guest room. The oldest used to complain that she wanted her own room. We let her sleep in the playroom to see if she liked her own room, but every morning we found all three girls in one room or the other. Once we were surprised by the little brother's arrival the oldest daughter shares a room with him and the two middle girls share. It isn't optimal with the 14yo dd sharing with her 3yo brother. These are not big rooms either, maybe 10' X 10' We try to find creative ways for everyone to have their own space.

 

Amber in SJ

[Karen in CO]

the girls are in one bedroom. the ds is in one bedroom. My hubby and I are in the other. The Extra bedroom is for grandma when she is here which is about 9 months out of the year. When my ds goes away to college next week, the girls are staying in their shared room and my hubby is moving his home office into half of ds's room - to be moved back when ds comes home for his two weeks between semesters.

 

I think sharing rooms is good for them. Ds has had his own room, but the disadvantage is that when we have guests - like right now, he gets to "share". So he is on the couch for two weeks while my brother and his wife get his room.

 

The little night time comforts and secrets are the good side of the learning to compromise that comes from it.

[Nicole M]

This is fascinating!

 

I work at a small college, and every year we have a little talk with the parents of incoming freshman. (It's billed as a "what to expect" talk that really is all about telling the parents to please go home now.)

 

Every year, we ask the parents how many of them shared a room when they were growing up. Nearly everyone raises their hand. Then we ask how many of their children have shared a room. Year after year, almost no one raises their hand. The whole roommate thing can be quite a cruel awakening for these kids.

 

I wonder whether it's a socio-economic thing, or values, or what, that is causing the drastic difference between the results of this poll and the informal poll of parents of freshman every year...?

[LibraryLover]

My kids have always shared and they have never asked to not. My oldest is away at college and his brother misses him. My oldest once wrote a high school essay where he stating something about the comfort of his brother's metered breathing when he woke in the night...or something. I have the essay somewhere on my computer...and I know I teared up at this reference.

 

Shared bedrooms have been a gift to us, relationship wise. I love to hear them talking and laughing together in the dark as they drift off to seleep. In our old house, each child could have had their own room and chose not to.

[Michelle in MO]

My older two girls shared a room together from the time my middle daughter was about six months old until they were 13 and 11 years old, respectively. So, altogether they shared a room for over 10 years.

[LibraryLover]

My girls are 9 and 16 and have always shared a room. They are very close, despite the age range. I think the sharing has actually helped forge their deep bond. My boys are almost 20 and just turned 15 and shared a room until the oldest went off to college. My 15 yr old spends only sleeping time in his room; says it's too lonely to be in there just to be in there.

 

My daughters, ages 10 and 16, shared a room for almost a year by choice. My dd10 just returned to her own room in November. Neither really like to be alone. My dd10 isn't sleeping well and I think she misses being with her sister. I think they're going to start having overnights again, but without actually moving all their stuff in one room together.

 

My ds12 shared a room with his younger sister for about 6 months and didn't really care for it. He's a major introvert and prefers being alone most of the time.

[swellmomma]

My boys have shared for 2 years now and will have to until we win the lotto and buy a bigger home. The girls don't share yet, but I hope to start getting the baby in there by the time she is 18 months and then like the boys they will have to share until we have enough $$ to buy a bigger house.

[dangermom]

Our two girls are 8 and 5 and have always shared since there have been two of them. We have a three-bedroom house: one bedroom is the schoolroom, and one is the parental bedroom of course, so there's only one for kids to live in.

[Sparkle]

Shared bedrooms here as well. Two boys in one room and two girls in the other. They prefer it that way, at least for sleeping. None of them will go to bed unless their "roommate" is there too. For study and play time, though, I wish we had more room to spread out and give them their own individual space.

[3lilreds in NC]

The girlies have shared a room since they were 3 and 2, when we had to put them in "big girl beds" because Abbie, the younger one, was climbing out of her crib. Emma would have stayed in hers until forcibly removed, I think. It made it an easier transition for them, I think, that they had each other in the room when it was bedtime. Now, they don't want to be separated, even when they are driving each other batty.

 

Anyhoo, that gave us the extra room for an office/school room, once we started school - but right when we got everything sorted out in that room I found out I was pregnant with Schmooey so now that's his bedroom (with Mary Kay in the closet, LOL). School has moved back downstairs to the kitchen.

[AnnetteB]

They love to share rooms when they are young, but the teenagers seem to enjoy some privacy if a free room becomes available. Currently, our 20 yo ds shares with 12 yo ds and they are fine with the arrangement. DD, 14, now has her own room after sharing a room with her younger brother for many years. DS, 5, insists on sleeping with his 8 and 10 year old sisters on the bottom bunk in their room. There is also a daybed in that room....so 4 potential spots available. His room stands empty most nights. We have actually had children cry when offered a room of their own. Three of our dear children have flown from the nest and there is always a shuffling of beds and possessions when they depart.

[JenneinCA]

My daughter (age 10) has her own room but my sons (age 8 and 4) share. They have shared since the little one moved out of our room at about six months old.

 

I think part of the reason that so many kids don't share is because there are only 1 or 2 children in the family. If you have just one, there is no need to share. If you have two of different genders they wouldn't share either. They could only share if they were both boys or girls and even then I don't think it is as common.

 

Jenne in CA

[dirty ethel rackham]

My boys have shared a room since they were 4.5 and 2 and will until one goes off to college. They are now 15 and 12. DD would love to share a room with someone, but she is the only girl. She tends to crawl in with someone (usually us, but sometimes with her brothers) because she gets lonely.

 

I grew up in a household where siblings shared rooms, so it is normal to me. 3 boys then 3 girls. The 3 boys and my older sister were very close in age. Larger age gap between the 3 girls. My older sister got her own room when she hit puberty, partially because she was a volatile personality before puberty and when that hit - the emotionality really went sky high. I think part of it was to shield my younger sister and me from her outbursts. I got my own room at about 12, but I had to share with younger sister when my siblings came home from college in the summers.

[Scuff]

We only have 2 br, so they all share. With an extra room, DS would have his own and the girls would share, obviously. They are close and like to share, but the girls do not like to share a bed. (they did for awhile)

 

I had my own room from about 8yo on. My mom was the oldest of 7 and shared with her 3 sisters, so she really pushed for me to get my own room. We had a 3br house, but by the time we were all grown we had 2 brs built in the basement and all of us had had our turn being alone. (though we changed rooms a lot and fought over who was stuck in the basement lol)

[iquilt]

Our two oldest have shared since dd5 was a baby. Our youngest often joins his sisters in their room for sleepovers but he does have his own room (which he has to share with overnight company).

[Suzanne in ABQ]

My kids have almost always "shared" a room, even when they had their own rooms. Both girls, who currently share a room, have been "camping out" in their brother's room for months now. They don't like being alone.

[Sue in WI]

The older two have shared a room since middle ds was born, and the youngest joined them about 1 1/2 years ago. This has been working pretty well. If we ever move to a bigger place, ds 7 would like his own room, the other two would probably still share. Our middle ds does not like to be alone, and would not like his own room.

[6packofun]

My 14yo got his own room just this month and it marks the first time in our family that any child has had a room to him/herself.

 

Our 3 daughters, 14, 11 and 9 share the master bedroom.

[PrairieAir]

Not only have my kids had to share rooms for longer than a year, I had to share a room with my mom or brother until my senior year in high school. None of us is too damaged:D My kids each currently have their own room and they feel very blessed. They still pile together on a big mattress in the family room to watch movies and often end up sleeping through the night there, though.

[Cathy in TX]

My girls have always shared a room~10 years and counting.

[Kari C in SC]

My dd was 6 (almost to the day) when ds was born. He either had to share with her or his 16 year old brother. We decided the two younger ones could share even though they were the opposite sex. They shared for about 3 years. It really didn't matter because they pretty much only used their room to sleep. They do have their own rooms now and the only part that thrills me is that I now have room for a dresser in each room. Before that, they were sharing a dresser and I was always cramming their clothes in their drawers.

[Hen]

our 3 girls share a room, always have. It was getting really crowded in there, so dh just built a sleeping loft in the room, it's in the attic space, just tall enough to sit up in their beds, you can't stand in most of it. (there are pics on my blog if anyone is curious, look on my sidebar).

 

Our son, being the only boy has his own room, but is very jealous of the girl's sleeping loft. We are actually talking about having the boy age 9 and our youngest dd 6 share his room for a year, because they are not being so nice to each other.

 

My husband is from a family of 7 kids, they always shared rooms, pretty small rooms, and they are all very good friends, then and today. I guess we think there is something to being forced to find a way to get along. My sister and I usually had our own rooms, and we were nasty to each other most of the time.