# How long can opposite sex siblings share a bedroom?



## Escaping (Nov 13, 2012)

If a child is 2 years older than his sister, how long is it appropriate or acceptable for them to share a bedroom?

I've heard that in Canada, CPS (or the Canadian equivalent) will take issue at a certain point... does anyone know when that is, or if it's even true?


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## Escaping (Nov 13, 2012)

For the record, I'm asking for my own information to settle an argument with DH


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## pbjmama (Sep 20, 2007)

A quick google search leads me to believe it is not true. You won't know unless you look up the law in Canada. I think by the time they are teens most kids would prefer a separate space for privacy. That said there are plenty of families where opposite sex children share rooms, not everyone can afford a separate bedroom for each child. My instinct is that separate bedrooms for each child is a 1st world/USA thing and is uncommon elsewhere.


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## MountainMamaGC (Jun 23, 2008)

I think till puberty, but not entirely sure.


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## rnra (Dec 15, 2011)

Personally, I'd go with it until age 8 or 9. After that I would prefer them to be in separate bedrooms or with a same-gender sibling. However, if doing so presents a financial (or otherwise) hardship, I don't think it's inappropriate for them to continue sharing for much longer.


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## treegardner (May 28, 2009)

Since separate bedrooms is a 1st world issue, I would think the answer would be relative.


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## Lazurii (Apr 1, 2011)

My kids share a room and we will do so until they show signs of needing privacy.

When I was 18 I shared a room with my little brother, he was 10. I actually enjoyed it as I was barely ever home and we kept separate hours. Our house was tiny (960 sq ft) and I had two other sisters still at home. With only 3 bedrooms it was a tight fit. After a while my mom decided it wasn't working (it was working, I don't know what she was thinking) and moved my brother out to the couch. I thought it was terribly unfair.


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## Red Pajama (Jun 11, 2007)

My three are currently in one room. The boys are 8, and little sister is 5. I think there would be open revolt if we tried to move her out. They like being together, and have a whole culture of quiet talking after they've been put to bed. I hope these are memories they will remember fondly!

My answer would be very different if they didn't like being together.


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## JennJenn84 (Aug 18, 2012)

For me, its once they start school, or age 5. However, the baby I am expecting is a girl and my older child is a girl as well, so its no difference.


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## Escaping (Nov 13, 2012)

Thanks for the responses everyone









Good to know I wasn't just being a weirdo thinking a boy and girl can share a room for a while. We do have another room that we could use as a master bedroom later but only two bedrooms which are next to each other and the other one is at the other side of the house. We live in a safe area and I know nothing will happen but it just seems weird to me to have children so far away. I'm a nutcase and want to be able to peek around the wall and know they're there, and not have to walk across the house.


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## JamieCatheryn (Dec 31, 2005)

If you had foster children or maybe adopted children social services would probably care. If they were checking you out for something else, they might make some negative note of it. Otherwise, it's up to your discretion and your kids' preference I'm quite sure. I'd expect the kids would have some issue with it by age 9.


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## emmaegbert (Sep 14, 2004)

We live in a ~630sf 1 bedroom apartment and all the family has one br- 2 parents, 2 girls (3 and 1) and one boy (8). So far it's fine. Son wants his own room so that his sisters will stop messing with his Legos etc. we hope to be able to afford a 3-bedroom some day but its not in the realm of possible right now.


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## colsxjack (Dec 9, 2009)

We live in Canada. My sister was on social assistance and was not allowed to have her opposite sex children in the same room after the youngest was aged two.

But when she was not on social assistance, it didn't matter.

For me personally, it would be when the kids wanted some privacy. I don't know how comfortable I would be with it after puberty set in. But I guess it would depend on the kids, and whether there were other places in the home they could find some "alone time".


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## Emaye (May 23, 2008)

I have been thinking about it since my Ds and Dd share, not only a room, but also a bed. He will be 7 soon and she turns 5 in the summer. I am thinking I may need to put them in separate beds but I have not yet acted on it. They love being together. They will probably share a room until they are 10 or so.


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## MobiusStrip (Mar 20, 2013)

What do you do when you have two who share but one has started enthusiastically "wiggling" in the bed (on his tummy, I am sure you can visualize the rest)? I tell him it is private and don't allow it if I am in the room but it should be private from his sister too. They are 3 1/2 but he really, really gets into it at times. How can I deal with this? They don't want to split into two bedrooms yet.


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## pbjmama (Sep 20, 2007)

The bathroom is a good place for private time.


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## MobiusStrip (Mar 20, 2013)

Not for the kind of private time he engages in. When he was smaller, before I started reenforcing the concept of privacy, he did it on the rug once and ended up with carpet burn on his knees. (What a great way to introduce myself on these boards but I would like help figuring this one out.)


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## alaskanmomma (May 25, 2011)

DD and DS share a room still at 4 and 3. They have bunk beds, so in a sense they have their own spot in the room. I don't see the issue in siblings sharing a room for really any time...they are siblings for goodness sake!

Plus, they both end up in my bed at the end of the night anyway, so it's not like them having their own rooms would keep them from being around each other at night


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