Hi beautiful IMs, I need some advice! I recently saw an awesome post from a mum asking to see photos of how you've arranged your kids rooms- well, I'm kind of asking the same but with a twist! I have a 4 year old son and a newborn daughter. As much as I'd love to be able to give them a room each, this unit is all we can afford to rent.. my son's room is relatively small, although if we moved out his little bookshelf and reading chair to the lounge we could potentially fit in bunk beds. So my request is, can I please see some photos from mamas who have two kids in the one small room? How do you maximise on space? And are your kids happy to share? It makes me feel awful that I can't buy a place for my children and give them their own space and a stable home but this is our reality for the moment and I need to make the best of it. Thank you so much :-)xxxx
6 Replies
Do not feel bad! So so many children share rooms and I was one of those kids - I have wonderful memories! All I can advise is to minimise toy space/remove the bookshelf for now. Create a designated area for your son in a different room (lounge room) for all of his special stuff so that he isn't losing his special area.
Definitely don't feel bad. I have 3 kids and enough rooms for my children to have their own rooms however my boys have shared a room. They absolutely loved it. I also shared a room with my sister and it didn't bother me (most of the time).
First of all, please don't feel bad. They have a roof over their heads, they're warm and they're safe. I had to share a room with my brother (5 years younger) from when I was 11 to 15, I'm not gunna lie I absolutely hated it. Those years are hard enough without having no privacy but I don't resent my mum for it because I know she did her best to make sure we had a place to live.
And your daughter is only a newborn at the moment, she probably won't be old enough to share a room until she's about 2 (or at least sleeping through the night) so your situation may change before then.
My 2 daughters share a room, they're 6 and 7. They have 2 single beds in their room because I don't trust them to be sensible with bunks lol, underbed storage will be a lifesaver and you have to really reign in their toys and stuff, you really can't accumulate too much stuff with limited space. Another thing to consider is toys with small parts of your sons that could pose a danger to his sister (think Lego, little collectible figurines and other choking hazards etc), how will you store all that? Would your landlord allow you to have some shelving put up on the walls?
I'm sure you'll find a way to make it work! Good luck.
Please don't feel guilty! This is one of the things IKEA are fantastic at.
Don't have pics but I have a 5 and 2 year old boy/girl sharing. They had their own rooms pre divorce so I too felt guilty. They love it! And sleep better x
Roof over your heads, food in your bellies and Iove in your hearts is all you need.
I rented a 'studio' and had 3 kids intogether. Even now as teens, with their own rooms, they'll often have sleepovers together. Their bond is strong because of it