5 Reasons Your Kids Should Share a Bedroom, Like It or Not
You remember that time Peter taped a line down the middle of his and Bobby’s bedroom? Then the boys proceeded to argue about it for a whole episode of The Brady Bunch?
Sharing a room with a sibling isn’t always smooth sailing, but there are compelling reasons to insist that your kids do.
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You’re in the house you can afford, in a neighborhood you like. This is a great reason to talk to the kids about finances and living within your means. It seems like even college kids have granite countertops and fancy pools these days. But will they be prepared to live on a real budget as young adults, when they're on their own? Not everyone gets her own room. Let them know how much house you can afford.
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You don’t have your own room, and you own the place, so why should they? When your spouse snores, you have to deal with it. Nobody likes sharing a room all the time. But sharing is caring, and learning to get along with other people in a shared space is a great life skill.
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They will learn to keep their belongings more organized, and you’ll be forced to help them pare down. With two kids sharing a closet, there’s no room for clothes that don’t fit or are out of season.
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They will bond. Sharing a room gives them a private place to talk, and a window into each other’s emotions. One mother claimed that she heard the sweetest conversations after bedtime, when the kids thought she couldn’t hear, even after they had been fighting all day.
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They’ll learn to share space early. When it’s time for a roommate in college, or even a partner on down the road, they’ll be prepared.
It seems like the current trend is for kids to have their own rooms, sometimes even their own bathrooms. But it wasn’t always that way, and the Brady kids turned out fine (or...did they?). In the end, you’re the parent, and your name is on the deed or lease, so the decision is yours. Do your kids share a room? Did you share with a sibling?