Many parents strive to have a home big enough to give each of their children their own bedroom, but sometimes that second child comes along way before a new home can be bought and in these testing times with mortgages at a premium, more often than not children will have to share a bedroom.
Sharing a bedroom is good for smaller children as they thrive on the company and the fun that being with a sibling provides. Here are some helpful ideas on how to maximise space and retain a sense of individuality for each child.
Although kids love colour, painting the walls neutral shades will allow for colour to be added and changed more regularly than choosing something bold that kids may grow tired of within a few months.
Give each child a wall to personalise with stencils that perhaps spell out their name or depict their favourite cartoon or TV show characters. These can be matched with bedding, Iggle Piggle duvet cover for one and Rasta Mouse for the other, whatever they are interested in at the time. Hang a cork board up for each child to pin their art-work to or favourite photographs of themselves or their pets.
Storage is always important and essential for helping reduce mess. When there is a place to store toys and clothes and extra bedding, it makes it much easier for the kids to help with keeping their room organised. Younger kids will enjoy having brightly coloured boxes or tubs with stickers on to show them what goes where. Also hanging pegs for dressing gowns or jackets and bags within the children’s reach, one for each child will encourage tidiness.
Two single beds work well in a large bedroom where there is also room for wardrobes and drawers. Giving each child their own bedside cabinet with their choice of night-light will prevent them from disturbing each other in the night, particularly if one child is older and has a later bedtime.
The best choice for a shared bedroom is a high sleeper bed. These are designed with space saving in mind as most have a raised bed underneath which are a set of drawers and a wardrobe or a built in desk and fold out chair bed for guests. High sleepers are not recommended for toddlers, particularly if it their first big bed. For tiny tots choose separate beds with raised sides that can be removed when they grow a little older and are less likely to fall out of bed in the night.
Whichever bed type is decided on, buying a mattress topper for the kids is a great idea as they minimise the existence of dust mites and generally help provide a quality night sleep.
So long as each child has their own bed, bedside table and an area to show off their individual tastes and personalities, they will greatly enjoy the years spent sharing with their sibling.
