Room for children - shared or separate?

In the past, the choice was simple - a common room for siblings was something completely normal - most of us shared a room with a brother or sister. Rarely, the family could afford a separate room for each child, which was dictated not only by the smaller size of apartments, but also by the fact that it used to be a completely ordinary thing.

It would seem that having enough space, allowing each of the children to have a separate room, the choice is obvious. Separate rooms have the advantage of allowing each of them to create a separate space for each child, taking into account their age, needs and preferences. And yet, even parents who have claimed that in the future their children will certainly not share a room with their siblings, organizing spaces for them is a dilemma. It turns out that even if we have enough rooms, more and more often we decide to put the children together. So how do you finally, together, or separately?

The advantages of a shared room

It is usually the case that the subject of a common room appears when the older child already has its own separate space, and the younger one is large enough to sleep the night and not require constant care. Checking the younger siblings to the room of the old man, should primarily take place after talking to the child and getting to know his opinion - skipping this step may result in the toddler being treated as an intruder. In case the difference in age between children is not too great, sharing a room is a great idea, especially if they are both at an age when they can communicate with each other and have fun. The main advantage of a shared room is the fact that children spend more time together, not only while having fun, but also when falling asleep. The presence of an additional person in the room, even if it is a younger brother, in many cases can solve problems with fear of darkness or imaginary monsters from the wardrobe. It has also been proven that sleeping together in one room improves the quality and length of their sleep, and also affects the overall sense of security. The greater amount of time spent together translates measurably into the quality of the relationship of siblings. Research shows that children who share peace have a stronger emotional bond with each other and are more open in interpersonal relationships. Even if you think that children in one room are a late-release bomb and a ready recipe for quarrels, fights, and wars about toys, take into account that this is a natural process of socialization. Having one space at their disposal, children learn how to share it, as well as sensitivity to the needs of others. It has been proven that a common sibling room is a great idea to teach children tolerance, empathy, and mutual respect - even if it looks like a constant fight from the side. An additional advantage is the fact that even if children are initially not willing to cooperate and develop sharing mechanisms, they learn how to solve conflicts and compromise very quickly. You will admit that these are very important skills that will pay off your adult life.

The right moment for separate rooms

A moment when separate rooms will become a necessity may come after a few years, or not come at all. Usually, when children start to be teenagers, parents decide to arrange each of them in a separate room. It is worth noting, however, that it is a very individual matter, because sometimes siblings function perfectly in a common room even until moving out of the house. Most often this applies to siblings of the same sex, although this is not the rule. Nevertheless, both in the decision about a common room and in the subsequent arrangement of separate ones, it is worth taking care of places that will make each of the children have their own separate angle despite the division of space. On the other hand, placing siblings in one room should take care of its ergonomics and make the best use of the available yardage. A comfortable and economical option are bunk beds, which have the option of separating into two single beds. This solution will work perfectly in a common room, thanks to the fact that it takes up a small amount of space, thanks to which the rest of the space can be freely arranged. The advantages of bunk beds have already been told a lot, moreover, their functionality is evidenced above all by the fact that they are still the most-preferred bed model for siblings. It is enough to say that apart from the possibility of better layout of the room, the bunk bed also creates additional options and a playground for play and modifications - as we have already mentioned here (link). A bunk bed with the possibility of spreading into two separate beds allows you to bake two birds with one stone - save space in a common room and create separate beds while arranging individual rooms. This saves time, money and is simply convenient.

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