I’ve had a few moms ask me how that works out so here are five tips I’ve discovered that have helped us.
1. Bunk beds. I can’t stress enough how much bunk beds have helped save space and give each child their own area. Two simple curtains transform a bunk into a nook, a retreat, and a space to get away from each other. In a small-ish house, that distance is important.
2. Color coding. While their interests are varied, the number of tiny toys expands every month. I keep Elizabeth’s Lego sets and dolls in purple trimmed bins while Joseph’s are in green, their respective favorite colors.
3. Neutral palate. Even though their sheets and pillowcases reflect their own tastes of Star Wars and daisies, their comforters are plain gray, brightened by fluffy blankets. With all the color and business in the room, a neutral shade on their beds along with white shelving has toned down the chaos.
4. Shelving. Each child has a shelf at the foot of his or her bunk. When something is on that shelf, it’s off limits to anyone else in the house. Joseph’s taken to keep his special projects and books on his shelf while Elizabeth puts her jewelry and dolls on hers. It’s all about having some private space.
5. And finally: relax. I worried sharing a room would be difficult. What I should have remembered is that kids don’t always have the same boundaries as adults. They’re perfectly content to be in the same room so I need to be perfectly content to let them.
Do your kids share a room?
