Kate Halim
Whether you choose to make your children share a bedroom or forced to by lack of space or other circumstances, it can be both good and bad.
Sharing a room teaches children patience, understanding and sensitivity. When these children eventually become adults, it won’t be hard for them to share space with other people. They would have gathered experience on how to make things work.
If you have a little child that is scared of the dark or dislikes being by himself or herself at night, then it’s comforting for them to know that their sibling is just a hand grab away.
If your children share a room, you might discover that as siblings, they bond well when they are in such close proximity. They can also comfort one another when they are sad. In the long run, that kind of communication and togetherness teaches kids how to be friends, not just siblings.
It gives them more time together to be themselves without parents around, and the space to talk about whatever they want. Their shared bedroom is like their own world, their own kingdom that they rule over together.
It creates security. The comfort in knowing they are not alone is beneficial to most kids, especially at nighttime. Sometimes this helps them go to sleep faster. And sometimes the silent companionship makes it easier for them to go back to sleep if they wake up in the night.
It helps children sleep more soundly. In addition to the comfort provided by a sibling’s presence, few things teach a kid to be a heavy sleeper like having to sleep in the same room as another person.
Often there’s one child that sleeps better than the other and this can encourage the other to get to sleep quicker or at the very least stop yelling out because they might wake their sibling.
When children share a room, it builds communication. There will be giggling going on at some point when kids share a room. They can talk about the things they did during the day and make plans for the next. They can read together. They can listen to music together.
It teaches problem-solving. Living in close proximity may mean occasional problems, but it also means learning to fix those problems — to compromise and work out a solution so that everyone is happy.
When children share a room, they learn to help each other and not be selfish. It doesn’t take long for them to discover that, in a shared room, the world doesn’t only revolve around one person. That’s a valuable life lesson.
It teaches sensitivity. When you spend time with someone in close quarters, you begin to notice their emotions and moods better. You can tell when the other person is sad or angry or happy or scared. This opens the door for empathy. It helps children learn to make each other feel better on their own without a parent’s help.
When children share a room, they learn that respect is not just for adults, teachers or for guests, it’s something for everyone. And they will learn that respect often is earned through kindness and sacrifice, as well as doing things for another person’s benefit.
