Do kids need their own bedrooms?

[yellowbeads]

We're considering buying a three double bedroom house (with one of the bedrooms downstairs, and no way to create another bedroom) so that we can stay in our area in London and near a good secondary school.

Kids are ages 9, 7 and 1.

Is this a good idea, or should we leave the area to get them a bedroom each?

It depends.
It totally depends on your children.

Not at all. I shared with my twin brother until my eldest brother went to uni and then I got my own room. Which was probably a good thing as I was 11 and starting to develop. If I'd had a sister it would've been fine to share for longer though.

With the price of houses it's harder now to ensure they all have their own room.

I suppose you could divide a room with a curtain or similar?

Ideally yes they do

They don't need them, but they sure are nice to have. I shared with my sister until I left home and hated it. She was very untidy and I wasn't. We used to fight about it.

Depends on the child. My eldest (9) definitely does. She gets overwhelmed with things and needs a safe space. My mother will tell me tales of the 6 of them topping and tailing in the one bed but those times are (generally) long gone. And she hated it.

it's nice to have

my 17 and 13 year olds share and get along fine but i do wish they had their own spaces

I shared with my three sisters.
It was bloody joyous.

I think ideally teenagers should have their own rooms. Younger children don't mind sharing so much but teens like their own space. Obviously it's not essential but I think it's desirable if possible.

Have you thought about how you will divide the rooms? Which two of your children will share and which will get their own room? I think if children are sharing you need to take into account age and gender, for example I wouldn't put a boy and girl in together once they're nearing puberty and I wouldn't expect a teenager to share with a young child.

It also depends on the personalities of your children. Will the two sharing get on? Will they respect each other's space and belongings? Are they both similarly tidy (or messy!). If any of your kids have a tendency for jealousy they might find it hard to share a room if another sibling has their own room.

I think these are all things to consider, although bottom line is sometimes kids have to share rooms and if that's the set-up in your house they will have to go with it. Some kids might not like it, but they will get used to it, especially if that's the way it's always been.

Nice if they do, not detrimental is they don't.

Ideally, yes. But the world is not necessarily ideal. Many have to share and can usually manage it.

It was why we moved from a three bedroom house to a four bedroom one when DD3 was just two. We are still there and it is just a few doors along from our original house in the village.

Not everyone gets the opportunity to do that though, and most families and children cope well.

No

How big are the rooms? Is there potential to knock them around when you have teenagers so that they have their own (smaller) rooms?

I'd have killed my sister if we shared, I need my space.

Thanks lots for all your replies.

The oldest two have always shared, think they'd get on better and be less competitive if they each had their own territory though?

Dividing one of the rooms would be a good option, will investigate it.

I think it depends on the ages of the children and their sex. If they're close in age, then I think it's fine for them to share a room. If not, they should be separate. Same goes for sex/gender.

My two boys (7.5 and 6) share a room, and so do my two girls (2 and 6mo). I can't see this being an issue in the foreseeable future, although it may become one in the long-term as they get to their teen years.

They don't need their own room, but it is nice to have one.
What you should do depends on so many things though - personalities of the dc.... if there is a chance of dividing one of the rooms..... what other viable options there are...... etc.,etc.
There are dc who grow up sharing with several siblings, it really is a minority of dc who have their own bedrooms, but, if it is an option for you, then it is much nicer for the dc.

No they don't. I shared a room with my younger sister until I left home at 24 (I was away at uni then moved home again) my older brothers shared too. Perhaps it was convenient that we were close in age? Never bothered me anyway. We all shared a room for 6 months in out late teens (oldest 20, youngest 14) as we were building a new house and moved onto a temporary one with only two bedrooms, this never bothered me either to be fair.

Of course they don't.

I shared a room with my brother until I was 6 and my sister until I was 17.

I loved my sister but didn't like sharing a room. She was 7 years younger than me and we had bunk I really wanted my own space.

Saying that I don't think that was all down to not having my own room but the general claustrophobic nature of my life!

At least two are the same gender so should share. Howcer due to the age of th youngest it would not be fair on either sharing with a one year old unless one is happy to do so.

Ask them how they would split the rooms. And yes you could divide the rooms, either properly with a stud wall or just with a screen.

I think pre teen there are many advantages to sharing and for same sex children I wouldn't compromised se education/ life plans in order for them to have their own rooms . I wouldn't expect opposite sex teens to share.
Teenagers do need somewhere quiet to work if at all possible and an understanding of the right to a degree of privacy if they have friends over.
I liked sharing with my sister and my older children( b/g) loved sharing and nail they were 10/9.

My three DC (all girls), about 20 months apart in age between each, shared one double room. One's gone to university now, so isn't at home as much, but they still all share when she comes back. They have bunkbeds. It's been OK.

Thanks everyone, really reassuring!