Nearly two-thirds of children under the age of 18 share their bedroom with a sibling. With space at a premium in most homes, this is often an arrangement born out of necessity, rather than choice.
That’s not to say it’s a bad thing. Making siblings share a room can help to teach them one of life’s most important skills: respect. By spending more time together, their bond is also likely to strengthen.
Of course, there will undoubtedly be one or two hissy fits along the way. Ask anyone of a different age, gender, or personality to live in a shared sleeping quarter and you’d likely get similar results.
Our job as parents is to help reduce those chances of conflict, and one of the ways we can do this is through décor and design.
By making a few small adjustments to their bedroom, you can help to create a space that both siblings are proud to call home.
- Different Furniture or Matching Sets
Don’t be afraid to try out a mix and match furniture style in the same bedroom, especially for children that have different interests.
A different bed, bed covers, seat, or desk can all help a child to feel like a part of their room is their own.
Alternatively, if your children are very similar, it can be wise to stick to matching sets. This should help to avoid conflict as they won’t be able to fight over who owns what. Not to mention the fact that it will make decorating a lot simpler as well.
- Bunk Beds
Two single beds take up a lot of space in any room, let alone one that requires space for “play”.
That’s why we’d recommend installing bunk beds. They will give your children privacy and maximize any floor space in the room.
- Pairs
It’s natural for siblings to copy each other’s behavior. When one wants to sit and draw, suddenly the other one wants to do the same.
You can imagine the conflict this would cause if there was only one spot in the room where they carry out this activity.
Giving them both an individual space where they’re free to carry out this mimicking behavior is the most logical solution. A pair of working desks, instead of just one, is a great place to start.
- Decoration
Choosing different furniture for a shared bedroom can be expensive. Decorating, on the other hand, doesn’t have to be.
There are a number of second-hand and pre-loved websites where you can pick up inexpensive pieces of home décor that help add a splash of personality to a child’s bedroom.
Give your little ones the option of picking out posters, signs, and decoration pieces together. If they can’t come to an agreement, let them each pick out ideas for their half or section of the room.
- Box Bunks
Once children start to reach their teens, privacy is likely to become a bigger issue.
Consequently, you might need to come up with an alternative way of keeping them happy at home.
If you don’t have the space to move them into separate rooms, it’s worth thinking about box bunks. The majority come with their own personal light, power point, and curtain.
Such is their effectiveness, they’re increasingly used in hostels all over the world as a way of providing guests with privacy.
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