Are Your Kids Sharing a Room?
Multiple kids sharing one bedroom? You’d definitely want to keep it clutter-free and set up a system.
Putting two or even three kids in one bedroom can actually work out well.
Without daily fights, skirmishes and ever-flowing, emotionally-charged drama?
Yes…it’s possible!
I’ve seen it work in our large family.
We have two boys and four girls.
They’re all split into three bedrooms now, but at one time they were in two bedrooms.
And my brother has four adorable boys all sharing one, cozy bedroom.
That works for their family!
But let’s talk about your family.
Could it work?
Will it?
Let’s dig into some tips that actually work when it comes it several kids sharing one bedroom!
(Psst! These tips helped our family live in several different locations — even overseas! Our kids beg to share rooms now!)
Tips that Help Kids LOVE Sharing a Bedroom
Kids Sharing Room Tip #1: Create a “kids closet.”
Most people have heard the term “family closet.”
This idea is a spin off that method.
Creating a “kids closet” ensures wiggle room for beds, play areas, and walking space in a bedroom.
Toys and books are also kept in that area.
That’s a kids’ closet!
Think of it: a kids’ bedroom that’s free of clutter.
Only pillows, blankets and sleepy-time stuffed animals are allowed in the bedroom at night.
This was a game-changer for our big family!
RELATED: How to Clean & Organize Your Closet
Kids Sharing Room Tip #2: Give Everyone Their Own Personal Space.
Some families have cute canopies over the kids beds to give them a little bit of privacy — like this bunk bed canopy.
My kids actually made their own DIY version with top sheets!
They’re total DIY nerds…;0)
Kids Sharing Room Tip #3: Assign One Bedtime hour for All Kids.
All of my kids, ages 3-12 go to bed at 8 p.m.
There are instances when I let one or two kids stay up for a reward, but overall my kids do best when they all go to bed simultaneously.
This helps everyone get their need rest — even in a bedroom with several kids!
Kids Sharing Room Tip #4: Choose Neutral Room Decor.
In the past, my daughter’s room was purple and lavender and accented with lots of cute flowers.
My son’s room had firetrucks.
Obviously those decor choices don’t work for a brother/sister shared bedroom.
When kids of different ages and genders share a room, gender neutral themes are your best pick.
Probably my favorite theme to go with is an Americana theme — red, white and blue.
It’s simple to work with and there’s always new patriotic decor to snag!
Kids Sharing Room Tip #5: Assign specific cleaning tasks.
Using generalized statements like “Clean your room” is not very effective when multiple children are sharing one bedroom.
However, if you have a kids’ closet, there’s minimal clean-up needed!
Kids Sharing Room Tip #6: Don’t tuck and run during naps.
During nap-time and bedtime, it’s typically much more effective for a parent to stay in the bedroom with the kids for 15-20 minutes.
This keeps kids in their beds and guards against kids fussing, tattling, or bugging other kids.
Try it.
Fifteen or twenty minutes is a small price to pay for less chaos, less fussing, and more peace!
Kids Sharing Room Tip #7: Make the room a quiet zone.
Use outdoor space for running, jumping, and LOUD noises.
For bedrooms, allow reading, homework, crafts, and quiet games to lessen daily stress for kids.
Noisier activities can happen in the living room or kitchen. Give kids a quiet place to relax!
Kids Sharing Room Tip #6: Be patient.
Give your kids time to adjust to sharing a room.
It can take up to two months to finally make sharing rooms work.
Try to stay calm and expect a few bumps in the road. :)
Have You Successfully Had Multiple Kids Share A Bedroom?
What sharing methods worked for you?
What tips could you share with our readers? Join our Facebook group and let’s chat about it!
