Sibling room: 7 clever tips for sharing a room
Many parents feel uncomfortable at the thought of not being able to provide their children with a nursery at a time. Other parents, on the other hand, consciously choose to let siblings share a room. Children learn to be considerate and compromise as a matter of course. In addition, it can be great fun to share the room with your brother or sister and have adventures together. Here are a few things you can look out for to support peaceful coexistence.
1. Outsource functions from the sibling room
Is the room very small? Then it may be worthwhile to outsource certain areas. Maybe your partner or you have a study where you can also accommodate the children’s desk? Or the wardrobes can be found in the wide hallway? This creates more space in the nursery and your children can spread out and romp better.
2. Use the room structure to share the room
Even if children share a room: everyone likes to have their own area. A clear division is therefore an advantage. It is especially good if you can use the architecture of the room for this. Niches or an imaginary line between door and window sometimes already provide possibilities to share a room. A simple square or rectangular room can usually be easily shared.
Important:It is ideal if both areas in the sibling room are well ventilated and flooded with daylight.
3. Explain differences in room sharing
Children quickly become jealous. So if the room is separated into uneven or non-equivalent areas, it is particularly important that you explain to your children why. The little sister will certainly understand that a schoolchild needs more space because of the desk. And also that a loft bed leaves more space to play than a low bed, is certainly understandable even for the little ones. This makes it easier to accept differences in room sharing.
4. Sharing a room through visual separation
An optical separation is very important, at least when it comes to the possibilities of retreat. In larger rooms, furniture, such as cabinets or shelves, can serve as room dividers. But then it is very important that they are securely attached to the wall. In smaller children’s rooms, a screen or a curtain are often the better way to share the room. They do not take up as much space and can also be put aside if necessary. This creates more space for playing together.
5. Harmony despite peculiarities
Especially with small rooms, it seems quieter when large areas are displayed as a unit. Nevertheless, it is important that siblings can live out their individuality even if they share a room. For example, you can provide uniform furniture with different colored accessories or the same wall color with different wall decals. Thus, on the one hand, an exciting underwater world and on the other a fairytale forest can arise and everyone can identify with his part of the room.
6. Prevent disputes
Of course, siblings with a larger age difference can also share a room. Arguments often revolve around “He took it without asking me” and “That’s mine and she broke it.” It can help to store personal toys in separate places. If the bigger one worries too much about his toy, he can put it on the top of the shelf, for example. So the little sibling does not come close to the “treasures” and the peace in the nursery is preserved.
7. Visiting friends
Of course, children also want to invite friends to show them their toys and have adventures with them when they share a room. Such situations cause the least problems if they are discussed in advance. It is also important that a compromise is reached that both siblings like and from which both can benefit at some point. For example, if one is doing sports, the other can bring a friend without disturbing the “roommate”. Or one child voluntarily goes to the living room to play, while the other sibling has visitors. Other times it’s the other way around. If your children are about the same age, they may have mutual friends. Then a nice common sitting area can be set up where everyone can play together.
As you can see, you can help your children with a few tricks to a nice common room. Especially if siblings have a similar character, similar interests and not too large an age gap to each other, nothing speaks against a peaceful coexistence in the nursery.