When I was an editor at a national parenting magazine, my boss never wanted to run any stories about shared kids’ bedrooms because she believed that very few kids shared anymore. Statistically, she was not wrong: American houses keep getting bigger and families keep getting smaller, so it stands to reason that most kids get their own room. However, in my everyday life, I know plenty of families who have kids share bedrooms, especially in cities, where space is at a premium.
Even in homes with more square footage, families will often choose to have kids share a room. My sister and I shared until we hit our tween years — even though the house we grew up in had a whopping five (!) bedrooms. My parents, like many others, hoped sharing a room would help deepen the bond between their kids and also teach us a little bit about problem-solving and compromise. (I like to think their plan worked!) |
