If your kids shared a room, when did they ask for their own?

I'm totally ahead of myself obviously, but I was wondering at what age do kids start to want their own room?

 

My boys are just over 6 and don't want separate rooms! Which works well for us because we always have a spare room for guests to visit. I remember being friends with twins in high school who still shared a room just because they wanted to. I'm sure every set is different, though.

 

What my kids want and what I give them are two different things. Generally, they want things they see. Everytime they see anything cookie related they want a cookie--but they don't always get one. At going on 7 they have never asked for their own room--but they have never seen any empty rooms around our house because their aren't any. My SIL lives with her husband and their three children in a two room house. One room is the bedroom-livingroom and the other is the kitchen-dinning room. Children never need their own room. If you have a room and have another use for it-that's great, you never need to give it to your children. You're the parent. It's your house. When they grow up and get their own houses they will decide how to use the space. Until then, it's up to you.

 

My girls are 6 and they talk about having their own bedroom, but do not want to separate now. We have an extra bedroom and they can have their own rooms anytime they want. Grace said she wants her own room when she is 18 and she wants her own desk, computer, and printer in her room. Elizabeth agreed.

 

I have 4 kids and they have always shared and have never asked for their own room. Actually last night they all slept in the same room.
My two oldest (dd & ds) shared until my oldest was about 11 y/o then I decided that it was best to split up the twins and do a boy room an d a girl room. this has worked out really well.

 

Melissa it was a bit uncalled for... I know I'm the parent and it's up to me. I was just asking because we do have a spare room for them later on, and I'd like an idea of when kids are usually ready to split up. Of course kids are not going to ask for their own room if there isn't one... And with b/g I can't really leave them in the same room forever if I have another option.

It's kinda funny though because I think we were 7 when my sister and I asked our parents if we could turn the guest room into a room for one of us, lol. We'll see I guess.

 

Alyssa and Bryony asked to have their own bedrooms when they were almost seven. They had discussed it every now and again for a while previously. One of the bedrooms (the one that was a spare room) is a fair bit smaller than the other, but they worked it all out between themselves-most of the toys and clothes are in the larger room and that's still very much a shared space in terms of playing during the day. They also have a double futon in the larger room which now serves as the spare bed (one of them will sleep on the floor of the other's room when guests stay overnight).

Naomi and Luke are still very happy sharing a room and have never really talked about having their own rooms. So it really does just depend.

 

I had really thought that by this time they'd each want their own room but it hasn't happened, yet. Plus, they really love the bunk bed they got last year. I do think that it will happen eventually and we have one extra room.

 

We have an extra room, but they ain't gettin' it. They will share a room until they go to college.
The funny thing is that they don't want separate rooms. Heck, in fact, they share the same bed. They told me last week that they are going to live together forever, even after they get married. I sure hope that their spouses get along.

 

My two are still in the same room. Our plan is to split them up over summer vacation. They are fine together but also excited to get their own rooms!

 

Thanks for asking. :good: I too am curious when they start to show interest.

We have a spare junk room but it's over the garage so it's the coldest in winter and hottest in summer. So I'm hoping to keep them together as long as possible. Their room is little though, so I imagine down the road that might pose a problem if they feel they need their own space.

Awwwwwwwwwww!!!! I smiled but teared up a bit too!! :wub:

 

In our plans the girls will always share a room. The girls have twin cousins who are 8 that asked around 6 to split and it lasted a week.

 

My older two kids share a room, my son is 9 and my daughter is 4.5. And then the twins share a room. With a 3 bedroom house and 6 peeps, they don't have much choice But even when we only had the 2 older kids, they preferred to share a room and have never been seperated yet. My plan is to split them eventually into boy/girl rooms but not until the twins need to get up to go to school in the mornings!! Right now they sleep until 9, I don't want them being woken up when the big kids get up for school at 7!

 

This is us except my girls are 5. They say when we get another house they want separate rooms but want to be able to visit each other to sleep

 

I hope never! LOL We have an extra room on our main floor (our playroom), but I'm not crazy about the idea of having 1 kid downstairs. They'll have to share til they go to college, I guess.

 

I have a boy and a girl and they have never asked to be split. In fact, when we were discussing possibly moving and DH said to me, "I'd like 4 bedrooms so each of the kids can have their own room and I can have an office," they started to freak out about not sharing. So, I doubt that they will be splitting up any time soon. We do have a "spare" bedroom, but it is tiny and currently being used as our playroom (and a schoolroom starting this fall).

I in the "no child has to have their own room" camp, but DH had to share a room with his sister until he was 16, so feels it is important to at least have the option of them splitting up. I respect that and will support the idea when the time comes.

 

we split ours at 3 when we moved to our new house (3 bedroom house) and they enjoy their own space - they've started having sleepovers but Abby especially needs to get away from her brother occasionally...

and I agree with Fran - what triggered that Melissa? - she was just asking a logistical question - not looking for a lecture on how to be a parent...

 

One of my two did actually ask for his own room a couple of years ago (they are almost 7 now) We had the room, he said he wanted his space, so we moved them, they ended up playing in each other room, seemed to pick on room for the day. But, they were ALWAYS together, I got the idea of wanting to be able to go to your own space. They stayed that way for about 9 months and wanted their race track out. At that time they had a choice to make we would need to move back to one room and a play room but there would not be any changes back soon. So they are back in one room occasionally they need their own space (or I need them to have their own space-you can always tell when they have spent too much time together lol) and one goes and hangs out in their room and one goes to ours.

We had the space and I did not mind and it was not on a whim exactly.

What I see with kids of different ages (my brothers included) is even though they share the same room, they have their own stuff and space and occupy it differently due to the age differences. The twins are at the same place, playing with the same toys, at our house they have the same friends in the neighborhood....

 

My calling is to tell the truth, even if it's unpopular so that's why it was called for.
Houses in America are too big--America is killing the world. We can not continue to support such a lifestyle. It's pure selfishness. Even opposite sex teenage siblings do not "need" their own room. Be thankful you have a house that allows children and parents separate bedrooms. Most of the world doesn't even have that.

 

did you feel this way when you were still an "American"

sorry but this is not the place to do your "good" works...Fran was asking a question about older children and their preferences - not whether or not she should put an addition on her house!

 

I think she just asked if/when she should expect her kids to start requesting their own rooms and then one of them could go in their spare room. She didn't ask if she needed to sell her home and build a 5000 square foot home to accommodate her family.

I get what you are saying, but criticizing and telling someone to be thankful they have something b/c others don't seems to be the most effective method (at least in my experiences) in putting up their defensiveness and shutting down to what you are saying.

 

We separated the kids when we moved. We in a smaller house in a small town much farther away from where my dh works. When they were 4, we moved to a different town much closer to work and we gave the kids their own room. For quite a while they still slept in each other's rooms, but they enjoy having space to separate themselves from each other.

So, mine never asked. We just did it when a natural transition presented itself.

Marissa

 

My older three all have their own rooms & have since we moved into the house we have now, so about 5 years. Before that, the girls shared & were getting to the point of really wanting their own space. At this point, L&L are still sharing a room & will until they ask to be separated, at which point we will convert the guest room into a room for one of them. I remember really valuing my own space as a teenager & will give that space to my kids if they want it and I have it to give.

 

Mine have mentioned several times that they would like their own room. It's usually when they are cranky and feel their sister is in their space. They will not be getting their own room since we live in a 3 bedroom home and will not be moving anytime soon. I really like my small house and don't want anything to much bigger than this. I do sometimes wish we had a 4 bedroom home but then I think about all the things that come with a bigger home and then decide they can deal with it. It's rare anyway that they mention it.

 

The twins are the only ones who share a room. They have expressed interest in separate rooms, but usually only when they are grouchy and fighting with their twin. One day, maybe we will finish the basement and put some bedrooms down there and they can have their own room. Until then, they will share. Unless they want to bunk with the 5 year old, their twin is the only option.

 

My twins are still in together and Liam is in his own room. We are working on changing that in the next couple of weeks. Meggie will get her own room and the boys will share. (We have 3 bedrooms) I think they are fine together and am sure that Meghan will end up in her brother's bed more often than not.

I do think that opposite sex kids need their own rooms as they get older. I often wish that I had my own room growing up, but I shared with two sisters and they are still my best friends now. My older sister had her own room and was not as close with us growing up. 6 kids in a four bedroom home, there was no way that there would not be sharing.

 

My older 2 boys (9 and 11) are still sharing, as are the twins. I've even thought about putting them all into the older boys room as it is huge, then converting the twins room into a "play" room. We have a guest room, but it is Great-Grandma's when she comes to visit. The older boys don't seem to mind in the least. They still end up in the same bed most nights. The twins share a bed and will for the forseable future. You may be surprised that they may not want their own space until they are teenagers.

 

We have a four bedroom house. My boys share a room. I wanted Mitch and Kenna separate because they kept each other up. My older son is 2 years older than the twins so it worked out nicely. They do really well sharing a room. If we had a smaller house I would have put girls together and boys together.

 

Mine are 5.5 and they say they want their own rooms -- though I suspect when we finally split them up, they will probably be scared and want to sleep together anyway. But I still want to split them up because I think they drive each other crazy being together 24/7, and all of us would benefit from each of them having some space that is all their own, even if they only use it when they're awake.

 

You know what Melissa, this is not the place for your holier than thou, I'm better because I'm not an overindulgent American attitude. Your first post came off as just weird. This one as rude and completely uncalled for.


My children share a room. When my oldest lived here she shared with them. Their room is barely large enough for one set of bunks, but we fit two. The second room, which is my room, is barely large enough for one double, not queen or king, but double bed and a dresser. There isn't an 'extra' room here, we aren't moving and both of my girls have asked for their own room several times. For what its worth, they also share a room when they are with their father. Children don't need to see an extra room to want it.

 

Mine currently still share a room. I will separate them in a few more years once we have time to finish the basement and put the guest room down there.

 

Sharing remarks in a diplomatic or respectful way might help get your message across more effectively.

To answer the original message: my two still share a room.

 

We are seven people in a three bedroom house. Dh and I have the master, the three boys share the larger of the other two and the girls share the smaller. I would love for the boys to be able to split because they tend to wake each other but they'll survive.

 

We have 3 girls in one bedroom and 3 boys in another. My oldest is really the only one who would even want her own room, I think. She's the only one who's ever kind of mentioned it, but she hasn't actually asked for it. We have an extra room, but I have no plans to change things right now. Personally, I think that it's a good thing to learn to share.