3 Reasons Your Children Shouldn't Share a Bedroom

Considering placing your children in the same bedroom? For many families, this idea is one that is necessary due to space constraints. Some even make the choice to have their children share a bedroom to help them learn to share and allow them to gain comfort and companionship from their siblings. However, there are situations when room sharing is not the best option for children and the families as a whole. Before placing your children in the same bedroom, be sure that one or all of these warning signs don't apply.

One or both children are unhappy and/or uncomfortable with the idea of sharing a bedroom.

With older children, parents should discuss the idea of room sharing before making a switch. Of course, some apprehension is normal as children learn to share their space and belongings. However, if your children are clearly unhappy or uncomfortable with the idea of the move, or are unhappy or uncomfortable once the move takes place, you should consider their feelings in the matter. While allowing your children the opportunity to share a bedroom can potentially help them bond and learn respect for others and property, forcing them to continue with an arrangement that is making them miserable will hurt everyone in the long run.

Your children have vastly different sleeping schedules or styles.

Not all children have the same sleep requirements, sleep schedules, or sleep styles. Thankfully, both of my children go to bed within an hour of one another. We are able to stagger their sleep times slightly so that my youngest is asleep when my oldest goes to bed. They are also both pretty heavy sleepers and have never woken one another. If they both required lengthy and varied bedtime routines and were light sleepers, sharing a bedroom would not have been a good choice for them. Also, if you have a child who is still waking up in the middle of the night, be sure to consider how or if this will impact your other child's sleep.

Children with extremely different personalities or temperaments may not be able to share a bedroom well.