A bonding haven or a disaster den? There are many conflicting opinions about whether or not it is a good idea for siblings to share a edroom. While some parents advocate a shared room as an environment in which their children thrive, others worry that those daytimes yawns are a result of being kept awake by a restless sibling. It’s a highly subjective topic; and one where ‘facts’ have to come second to personal experience. There are, however, typical pros and cons that are consistently mentioned by parents “across the board”. If you are considering putting your children in a shared bedroom, you may want to look at the following…
Pros
It is thought that siblings who share a room may develop an emotional closeness that wouldn’t otherwise happen. They are, after all, sharing their personal space, meaning they will have more discussions over the years.
Newborn twins find comfort and reassurance in sharing a crib and often sooth one another to sleep.
Playing in the same bedroom can help with teaching your children how to compromise, share and to have respect for each other’s things.
Sharing a room may encourage collaborative play; which is great for the development of children’s social skills.
Cons
Different aged children have different sleep schedules. Toddlers, for example, may snuggle down with their baby comforters for an afternoon nap, and this may mean that their older brother or sister will not be able to play in their room if the toddler is asleep. Likewise, it will be very disruptive for a ten year old if their teenage brother or sister is watching TV or playing computer games until 10pm.
Sharing a room may result in more mess and more clutter. A lack of ownership over the room may also result in children being less interested in keeping it tidy.
Even if your children are close in age, it does not necessarily mean they have the same group of friends. It’s important for children to have a place to bring their friends – somewhere that won’t result in an argument if one sibling feels their space is being invaded.
Remember that every family is different; and you should do what’s right for your children.
Ensuring that your family achieves good quality sleep is a majorly important part of parenthood. You can read how our happy clients have overcome their babies’ sleeping issues here with the help of our award winning Sleepytot baby comforter.
