Room sharing

[Jourdain11]

We moved house just over a year ago and the original plan had been that DDs (now 10 and almost 9) would share the larger bedroom and DS (7) would take the little tiny room. In the event, DD1 ended up with the small room and DD2 and DS shared the bigger room. It was a consensual arrangement, partly due to DD1 having ongoing OCD and medical issues and partly because DD2 and DS just fancied sharing (having never shared before).

A year and a bit on - DD2 and DS love sharing and their bedroom is happy mayhem. But I thought we should maybe switch around this summer. DD2 is going into Y5 and I just feel like maybe it's a bit old to be sharing with a brother when there's another option?

However, DD1 got panicky at the idea of sharing and they (DDs) aren't rubbing along brilliantly at the moment. So this is also not an ideal solution.

Do you think that 9 (as DD2 will be in a few days) is too old to share with a brother, or is it still okay? I am in 2 minds about this, but my instinct is that it's probably best to leave the arrangement as it is, since they're all content with it.

They can recommend all they want but I’m in a council house and same sex siblings aren’t entitled to a room to themselves until 16 and even they don’t always get one as waiting lists are so long

Although maybe generally, in cities, it is more common!

I think the recommendation is a tiny bit OTT to be honest. I get that in an ideal world everyone would have their own room (in an ideal world I'd also have a swimming pool) but I don't see an issue with same-sex siblings sharing, or opposite sex for young kids.

DD2 is the youngest in her class and consequently quite 'mature' for her age in a lot of ways, but I'd say she is far away from puberty and will probably be a late developer like I was! I remember getting a massive telling-off from a teacher as a very undeveloped 12-year-old because me and a boy were wrestling on the ground during a school choir rehearsal (in the break, I should add!). We were expecting to get told off for being badly behaved, but we also got a long lecture on it not being appropriate between boys and girls of our age, which I think left us both a bit bemused!

One of my school friends shared a bedroom with her brother till she was 14 and he was 12. My B/G grandkids shared till they were 11. They all decided for themselves when it was time to split.

I'd just let it run until your daughter decides she wants to change room mates. She's the best judge .