Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Parenting

For free parenting resources please check out the Early Years Alliance's Family Corner.

Flip

Original poster

How long is it practical for siblings to share a room?

13 replies

Woodlandwitch · 16/09/2019 08:32

I am expecting baby number 2.
We live in a lovely spacious 2 bed house with no plans to move.

One day we could do a loft conversion but I would rather manage how we are for as long as possible due to cost to do so and all the mess and upheaval it causes.

Realistically how long would siblings be able to share for?

I don’t know if the baby will be a girl or a boy. Our child is a boy aged 2

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

Loveislandaddict · 16/09/2019 08:34

I shared with my sister until my brothers (who also shared) moved out. Same sex can share all throughout childhood. Different sex - not too sure, up to 8-10 years?

Disfordarkchocolate · 16/09/2019 08:37

I never had a room of my own till I moved out. If the children are different sexes I think they need their own room sometime between 8 and 10, it really depends on the children, and puberty.

Original poster

Woodlandwitch · 16/09/2019 08:38

Thanks @loveislandaddict

That give a plenty of time 👌🏻

Did you mind sharing and did you have designated areas of the room?

OP posts:

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about these subjects:

2 year olds Families General parenting

AdalindMeisner · 16/09/2019 08:41

Well, I live in council property and their rules are different sex sharing until one child is 10. Same sex until one child is 16 (although I can no longer find this rule on their site - could just be over looking it though). We were told out same sex would be entitled to separate rooms due to serious medical needs of one child which could affect the others safety/wellbeing.

I grew up sharing a room with my sister until I left home and whilst I would have loved my own room it did me no harm.

So if same sex I would let them share if the house is perfect in every other way apart from 3rd bedroom.

someoneontheinterweb · 16/09/2019 08:53

I agree with others that 8-10 seems reasonable for opposite sex, but as long as they get on then same sex should be alright indefinitely. They may resent it in their teens, especially if they know you could afford an alternative, but honestly sharing with my (2 years younger) sister for all those years probably made us closer than we otherwise would have been. We shared until I was around 21-22, although from 18 onwards I was at university in term time. I got my own room for around 6 months after my step sibling moved out, and then moved out myself.

Verily1 · 16/09/2019 08:58

Until your ds is 8 if dc2 is a dd, forever if not

PinkSpring · 16/09/2019 09:10

We are in the same situation! Although we have a two year old DD and we are having a DS at the end of the year.

Our house is lovely and spacious, but it's a two bedroom. We did look at moving but most of the three bedroom houses we looked at were actually smaller!

So, until we can afford a move to a four bedroom house in about five years time, they will be sharing.

Loveislandaddict · 16/09/2019 15:44

Didn’t really mind sharing, but didn’t have much choice.

I had one side of the room, and my DS the other, although most was communal space.

stucknoue · 16/09/2019 15:54

Most guidelines are that different sex siblings have their own room by secondary school, but same sex it doesn't matter. Mine shared until 6&8 but we moved to a bigger house then

Amazonita · 16/09/2019 15:54

I have a 25 year old niece who's still sharing a room with her 13 year old brother! That's in London though in a tiny 2 bedroom flat.

I'd say you have a good 8-10 years if your new DC is a DD. If not I don't think sharing a room is an issue for 2 same sex siblings with a 3 year age gap.

Keepkondoing · 16/09/2019 15:58

I’ve got a 10 year old ds and 8 year old dd who share, they are similar in a lot of ways but they really do need there own rooms now. Not sure that puberty is an issue yet but they both want to do their own thing and have their own personal space to retreat to. Little things like one liking a night light, one preferring to sleep in pitch dark etc, one wants a tidy space the other doesn’t care too much about mess and wants toys left as they are to play again another time etc
I think you have plenty of time yet though and they could easily love sharing with each other and not have any issues for years.

Susan33 · 19/09/2019 17:20

I shared a room with my younger brother until I left home at 19 and we didn't have any issues.You just make the best of the situation and being siblings means you have a sensible connection about things and don't gawp when we changed.

Baguetteaboutit · 19/09/2019 17:24

I shared with my sister till I was 20 yo. We get on really well. Don't get me wrong, she had a to-scale drawing of what the room would look like when I left home and she threw a shit fit when I decided to go to the local uni - but, yeah, it was fine.

Flip