This month I am talking about finding lots of hope in a little home. Click HERE to find links to what I have written so far and a schedule for what’s to come.

Today I am talking about the kids room. My kids share a room and a futon for now. 
I’ve never had the privilege of sharing a room with a sibling because I was the only girl in my family, but my friends that did have roommates seemed to have a special bond that I always admired. Since I don’t have any personal experience on the matter I thought I would ask someone who does.

My friend Kathryn has four sisters and one brother and all of the girls shared a room! That’s right, 5 girls in one space. Their dad constructed a special bed Kathryn called the pyramid, which holds 5 twin mattresses on 3 tiers.

 I asked Katherine a couple questions about what it was like squeezing into a small space like that and she said “There were aspects that I loved about sharing a room, like sharing clothes with 2 of my sisters, and all the late-night talks: mostly silly, but the occasional heart-to-heart.”
When I asked her what advice she would give to other room sharers or in my case their parents, she emphasized having something of your own. “It’s nice to have SOME personal space” says Katherine “even if it’s just your mattress (or mattress half – did that too!) or a shelf in the closet that no one else in the room is allowed to access without permission. Being able to personalize my bed space was nice: picking out my bedding and writing on my bunk ceiling.” And parents be warned Katherine says “Talking/playing after bedtime WILL happen…but that’s the best perk of sharing a room”

 She also mentioned that sharing a room has helped in building a strong marriage.
She went from sharing a room with 4 girls to a one bedroom apartment with her husband which in her words was “a piece of cake”.
Learning the responsibility of cooperation at a young age is beneficial on a number of levels. What a wonderful natural teaching tool to combat against a culture that often promotes selfishness, greed, and entitlement. James Crist, a child psychologists says “a shared bedroom is a good opportunity to learn about negotiation and compromise.”

My kids don’t really care much about our setup right now. I guess time will tell just how much they will appreciate the “opportunity” they have to share a room together, but for these 5 amazing sisters, sharing a room means sharing wonderful memories that will last a lifetime.