Creating separate space for 2 boys and a girl?

Question

My son (10), stepson(12) and daughter (2) all share an average size room. We only have a 2 bedroom house so this will have to work for now. (Step son moving in was a surprise about 2 months ago). I put my daughters dresser and bed on one side and the boys have a wood bunk bed. They each have a chest of drawers. How can I give the boys each their own space? There is no more room for anything large.

Details: Bunk bed is one solid piece, doesnt come apart. I dont have an attic or basement, or even another room that they could move into. I am more asking about separate shelving or containers, not to separate the room. It would only separate my daughter from them, and since there is only one window unit airconditioner in the room the room divider would go right in front of it. Not really what I need to do .

Answer 1

do you have a basement or a attic, would cost you some, but you & hubby could create the boys own living space.

Answer 2

Buy plastic stackable drawers. Wal-Mart has some and I am sure there are a few other places that carry them them. They usually have anywhere between 3-6 drawers in them. Stack them, one can be for the 10 yr old and the other for the 12. They can store their "stuff" or toys in them. For clothes you can find a drawer dresser they can share or long thin tupperware/rubbermaid container with lid for t-shirts and jeans. It should be able to slide effortlessly under the bottom bunk. Divide the closet with a hanger and old pillow case. Create a small hole in the end of the pillow case and slip the hanger thru. Use fabric paint to write names on the pillow cases to seperate which part of the closet belongs to who. Label each container giving each child their very own things. This should help the room stay organized and help share the small space they live in. Add an extra shelf in the bottom, top, or side of the closet to help seperate shoes and other clothes. Good luck!

Answer 3

Hmm...this is a tricky one, but obviously it is easier, as you have found, to have the two boys together in the bunk beds. One thing that you can get as a cheap "wall" is a large, folding piece of cardboard used for sewing and measuring. You can find this at a sewing store. It can stand up and then fold up easily. That would provide some separation between the two sides.

Now, in answer to your main question, it is very important for the two boys to have their own space. Thankfully, the space isn't necessarily "required" to be enormous, or have an extravagant amount of "stuff" in it. You can do this simply by just creating two areas on their side of the room. Get two plastic containers that you can close the lids on and tell them that they can keep all of their private things in them. Once something is in the box, it is officially theirs. They have to agree not to touch each others' things. You can also designate some spaces...for instance, if there isn't much floor space, then their spaces are their beds.

They can take toys and whatever they want out of the boxes and play with them...they can share if they want to, but it will also allow them some personal time. Another thing that might be useful...I know it might be hard for preteen boys, but you can try it, anyway, is to encourage them to write in a journal. This will feel like it is giving them "space" and time to themselves. Also, encourage things like drawing and stuff that they can do privately. You want them to be friends and to do things together, but you definitely need to ensure that they can be individuals also.

Good luck! :)

Answer 4

I've had a one bedroom apartment for years and love the rent and the location. SO I didn't want to give it up when I had a child, but I just turned my dining room into her bedroom. She's also two. Now I have my privacy and she has as much privacy as a two year old needs, LOL. I use large screened room dividers so I can still have the flexibility to use my living room without waking her at night.

Answer 5

Bunk bed were a great idea. To personalize their space, you could take the children out and buy them all their own comforter. Like if one boy likes basketball and the other football. You could get pillows in the ball shapes too. For the girl you could do like a pink thing.

Answer 6

Why don't you try hanging some of the beaded sheers? You can find them almost anywhere and they are thin enough to allow the cool air to flow through. You could let the boys create thier own space by allowing them each to choose thier own bedding(it doesn't have to match) and letting them hang posters and small shelves on a particular wall. You might let each child add personal touches to their chest of drawers--favorite pictures,stickers,etc.

Answer 7

you could try getting one of those chinease room seperators and seperate the room. take the bunk bed apart give the two boys there space.. then use a curtian or something to give the 2 year old her space.

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Answer 8

hang sheets to make them have a seperate part of the room