Pros and Cons of Room-Sharing for Kids

 

As any parent will tell you, there are many challenges with raising one child, but it is entirely different when you have two, three, or even more kids. Then everything you need to do is times two or three. But that’s not the only thing; you must also ensure that your kids develop a healthy and loving relationship with their siblings. And not every kid is happy when they get a new brother or a sister. Often this makes them jealous and resentful. To make matters worse, sometimes they will have to share a bedroom with their sibling. When it comes to room-sharing for kids, these arrangements can go either well or be a complete disaster.

Unfortunately, this puts parents in quite a rough spot. If you are one of those parents searching the internet for parenting advice and asking yourself if a room-sharing arrangement is a right decision for your family, you came to the right place. We made a list of the pros and cons of room-sharing for kids. Hopefully, by the end of this article, you will be able to make a well-informed decision about what kind of sleeping arrangement is the best for your children.

 

Some of the Pros of room-sharing for kids

·        Brings kids closer                                               

·        Prepares them for the future

·        Teaches kids to share

 

Room-sharing makes sibling bonds tighter

The first good thing about your kids sharing a room is the incredible emotional bond it can create between them. When kids share a room, they spend more time together, creating more opportunities for them to bond, especially when they are little. Young children often wake up in the middle of the night because they are anxious and want somebody to comfort them. Having their older brother or sister in the room is very helpful in those situations. Instead of waking their parents, kids will turn to their older siblings for comfort. This also works when your family moves into a new home.

Moving can be stressful and make kids feel anxious. It can be pretty lonely for them to sleep by themselves in a new bedroom. And it is much easier when they have a sibling to go through this process with them. In this situation, siblings sharing a room is extremely helpful. Unpacking with kids and making them a part of the moving process is the way to go, so you should let them participate and decorate the room they will share together. This will be a great bonding experience for them.

It’s great preparation for the future

Room sharing is not just great for a sibling bond. It’s also a great learning experience for your children’s future. Chances are your kid will have to share a room one day. There are many situations to share a room: a college dorm, an apartment with a roommate, or their significant other. So having an experience like this early on can be very helpful. They will learn about respecting other people’s boundaries and space. They will also learn about setting their own boundaries. An experience like this will make them more empathetic and understanding. Learning to co-exist with others in a shared space is an experience that will benefit them greatly in their adulthood.

It will teach kids how to share

Room-sharing is a great way to teach your kids how to share. Sometimes an only child or a child with a private room will have difficulties sharing later in life. Being in the same room will create an opportunity for them to share clothes, toys, books, etc. There are many benefits to learning how to share as a child. Children who know have to share are more likely to have more friends and know how to function in a team.

The Cons of room—sharing for kids

·        Different schedules

·        Not enough space

·        Privacy

Different schedules can be tricky

One of the cons of room-sharing is that it’s tough to coordinate your children’s schedules. Having different bedtimes can be challenging. Or different wake-up times. Sometimes one child can wake up earlier and then wake up the other, creating an issue. Also, this can be an issue with studying. One child needs to study in the room while the other wants to play. So if you have kids with very different schedules, maybe you should reconsider having them share the room.

There is not enough space

Having two or more kids in one room can get crowded quickly. You will have to double the things you need for one kid. Two beds, two sets of clothing, books, etc. Don’t forget all the toys. Also, as kids get older, their needs grow, and they will accumulate more and more stuff. This means that your kid’s room will always be cluttered and messy. And that’s not a pleasant environment for your kids to spend time in. One of the solutions for this is renting a storage space. According to experts at Evolution Moving Company DFW, this is a widespread practice amongst parents who are moving into a new house with their children. Parents typically ask the moving company to relocate some of the children’s stuff to a storage unit. And they keep things there until they find a more permanent solution.

The issue of privacy

A big issue that can occur with room-sharing is privacy. This is very common when you have kids with more significant age differences. Kids, especially teenagers, want more privacy in their bedrooms as they get older. Teenagers don’t like sharing rooms with their younger siblings. So room sharing can work until a certain point in your children’s lives. After that, maybe it’s time to change room arrangements.

Pros and Cons of room—sharing for kids – Which outweighs which?

Now that you know the pros and cons of room-sharing for kids, it is up to you to decide the best living arrangement for your situation. It all depends on your specific domestic situation, and you are the only one who will know what is best for your family. The benefits of room sharing are that your child will have a better relationship with their sibling, learn to be generous, and be more likely to have more friends. But on the other hand, it will be hard to coordinate sleeping schedules, and privacy can be an issue in the future. What is more important to you, and what do you think you can manage?

Final thoughts

These were some of the pros and cons of room-sharing for kids. We tried to be as informative as we could. But at the end of the day, the decision is yours. Every family is different, and what works for some may not necessarily work for others.