It’s Okay If Your Kids Share A Room!
I was speaking to my son’s occupational therapist over the phone recently. I know better than to try to speak on the phone in public places, but life happens nonetheless. We were talking about my son’s sleeping habits when I mentioned that my boys share a room. I overheard another shopper tell a friend, “I’ll never have more kids than I have rooms to put them in.” I had so many things that I wanted to tell this woman, but I wisely kept my mouth shut.
Families and houses don’t always happen the way we plan. Because we are human, and because we have a heart, we as moms are happy to open our hearts to family. We have children, planned or unplanned. We take on our step-children. We provide a safe place for nieces, nephews, un-biological nieces and nephews, foster children, and many others in situations out of their control.
Our homes follow suit. Some of us choose large homes. Some choose smaller ones. Some of us have the best home that we can afford, even if it doesn’t have a ton of bedrooms. Some of us have chosen to, or been forced to, downsize. Many of us have been through situations that shake up our housing situation. BUT THAT’S OKAY!
Children sharing a room, in my experience, can be a beautiful thing.
My oldest two children had their own rooms when they were little. However, they chose to be together. They slept in the same room every night. Late night cuddles and sneaky play sessions were the norm. It was the cutest bond I had ever seen. They are still extremely close to this day.
When my husband and (step)daughter first moved in, she struggled to find her place in my already-established household. We decided that she would share a room with my daughter closest to her age. While awkward at first, this has lead to a beautiful friendship between them. They have a bond like no other. They tell each other things that they wouldn’t tell anyone else. What they have is special. They did get their own rooms after my oldest went to college, and it was hard for them to separate.
To this day, my youngest two share a room. My boys love this! They share everything. This has taught them things that you can’t teach children in traditional ways. They’ve learned to use their imagination. They’ve learned empathy. They’ve learned to comfort one another and how to pay attention to another person’s needs. They’ve known how to share and take turns from a young age. Again, the bond they’ve formed is something you don’t see every day.
Are there arguments? Are there bad days? Of course! Just like anything else, things aren’t always ideal. There are days when I wish I could add bedrooms to my house. There are days when I wish I could move somewhere bigger or separate my kids by miles. But the good days largely outweigh the bad. I wouldn’t change the way we live for anything.
