Thinking About My 2 Boys Sharing A Bedroom

It won’t be long now until Oscar is ready to move out of our bedroom and into his big brother’s room. I am really keen for them to share a bedroom. I think it’ll be good for Luke I’m so many ways, but I also think it’s one of the lovely parts about having a sibling. Sure, there will be fights and squabbles, but when no one’s looking, I know there will be some cute brother moments as well.

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A few weeks ago on Instagram l mentioned that in 2020 we’ll be moving out of our 2 bed flat and hopefully moving into a house. I’m mega excited for this. The decision came after our estate agents raised our rent. We decided that if we’re going to have to pay this sum of money, we might as well spend the same amount each month on a much nicer property that suits everyone a lot more. Also, for the same price, we gain an extra bedroom.

Despite the fact that we will hopefully be moving into a 3 bed house, I’m still keen for the boys to share a bedroom until they’re older. While there’s not too much we can do right now in terms of creating individual tailored spaces for them for their privacy and personalities, there are a few things we’ve come up with that should tide us over until next year.

I’ve been brainstorming ways to make the transition from being an only child, having a room all to himself, to having to share his space with his brother easier. I want my boys to appreciate the space they have both individually and as siblings. Their right to privacy is important to me, as are their respective interests and personalities. I really want to create a space they can both use in harmony {ha!} for as long as is needed.

Having ‘Their’ Space

Everyone needs their own space to relax and unwind,  kids are not excluded from this need. Although it might not always be practical to create partitions, there are other ways to create a little privacy between siblings. It’s not all just about privacy either, my two kids have a 5 year age gap. They will very obviously have different hobbies and interests and it’s important to me that they each get to explore these and immerse themselves in them from their own little area in the shared bedroom.

Decorations

We are currently in rented accommodation and well most likely be staying in rented properties for the foreseeable future. We’re keen to get onto the property ladder and buy a house, however having just gone self employed, being parents to two kids and therefore not easily being able to save chunks of money each month means that dream is still a little while off for us. In my experience, landlords are usually pretty happy for you to decorate as long as the colour scheme is light and tasteful. Don’t quote me on that though – there are some landlords who outright refuse to allow tenants to redecorate.

For children’s bedrooms, this is pretty easy to get around thanks to the invention of vinyl stickers. I think vinyls are a great frugal way of adding a little something extra to a kid’s bedroom space without having to redecorate or break the bank. I recently watched BrummyMummyOf2’s YouTube video showing how she decorated her little girl’s bedroom with spotty vinyl wall stickers – the end result was really impressive. Something my boys would probably love more is character vinyls. I’m sure Luke would want his little area filled with his favourite characters, like Lightning McQueen, Lego Movie characters and Pokemon.

Furnishings And Bed Tents

As a little girl, I always dreamt of having a beautiful bed canopy hanging over my bed. My friend had one and, to me, her bedroom looked like it was straight out of a fairytale. Not only do they add a certain ‘princessy’ charm to the bedroom, they also offer additional privacy from siblings. There are also some seriously cool bed tents available in both boys and girls styles which I love. For a long time Luke had a green bed tent, but I must admit they’re a pain when it comes to changing the bed sheets.

Bedding Choices

Speaking of bed sheets, for me these have always been a fun way of expressing individuality. I have had character sheets {as an adult!}, leopard print, asymmetric patterns and more – I’m not one to settle for plain old white. Kids should definitely have this choice too. Luke loves his Mario bed set and always loves choosing a new bedding set.

Having Storage Space

The bedroom Luke’s currently in, the same room Oscar will initially be moving into when he leaves his cot, is quite small. It’s not a box room but it’s certainly no double bedroom. While we’re still in our flat, bunk beds seem to be the sensible option. Not only are bunk beds insanely exciting for kids, it will also allow us to keep pretty much the same amount of children’s storage space as we have now. When we move into our house next year, beds with storage built into them could be another option for the boy’s bedroom, depending on the size of the room. I’ve seen that Bed Guru have a decent range of beds to suit all needs, so I may have a little look at their site once we’ve moved.

I am sure that when the time comes, this will be a great adventure for all of us. I know there will be fights and whinging, but those are inevitable regardless of sleeping arrangements. I want my boys to have a good bond as adults and to be able to rely on each other. I know that one day, they’ll be confiding important information with each other and I think that the bond needed for that closeness starts with sharing a bedroom.

Oscar is my second child, so bedroom sharing isn’t something I know much about. If you have any tips on how to make the transition run smoothly, leave them for me in the comments.