As much as possible, whenever I can, I like to say "yes" to my kids. Childhood is such a special time, and quickly fleeting. If there is something that is safe and good, I try to say yes.
Sometimes that means giving in to the things that they beg for. Sometimes that means seeing the things that they don't even know they want yet.
For the past 6 months or so, every night my kids go to bed. Girls to the right, boys to the left, each in their gender-specified rooms. They read books and talk among themselves.
But every night, something happens. By the time I head up to bed, there are four children in one room. Usually in one twin sized bed. Every night, they end up sleeping altogether in a jumbled heap. Clearly, the girls want to be in there. Clearly, their older and younger brothers don't mind a bit. Every night I turn off the light left on in the girls room and think what a waste it is, a bedroom with no occupants.
Its so sweet to see them all snuggled up together, like puppies in a pile. And I know how fast fleeting this is. Ben will be 9 this summer. How many more years will he consent to snuggling with siblings? So I ask -- "How would you like to have both sets of bunk beds in one room? So you can all sleep together, just in your own beds?" His eyes light up. Yes.
In our small home with its oddly shaped bedrooms, I know the only way it would work is if there was nothing but beds in their sleeping room - and the second bedroom turned into a family closet. I can't help but get excited at the prospect.
Family closets are often used by large families. The concept is that it keeps all the laundry and clothing related things in one place, instead of strewn throughout several rooms. A bedroom for sleeping, a clothing-room for dressing and undressing. It is supposed to cut down on time spent lugging laundry to and fro, sorting, etc. Ours would be only for the children's clothes, not the entire family.
I'm still trying to figure it all out, to see if it will actually work for us. I google family closet ideas and dormitory style bedroom layouts. And I think and make lists and wonder if it will really be the best.
What do you think? Do you use a family closet/dormitory set up in your home?
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Psst, there's a little facebook challenge going on over at my page! If you help me get to 300 "likes" on facebook, I'm giving away this sweet little honeybee sweater!
I love the idea! I grew up as the fourth of five kids and we would have LOVED to all sleep in the same room. Go for it.
ReplyDeleteI'm excited to give it a try! Thanks for telling me about your experience. I wasn't sure how they'd feel, but all are so excited!
ReplyDeleteI'm excited to give it a try! Thanks for telling me about your experience. I wasn't sure how they'd feel, but all are so excited!
ReplyDeleteI only have three kids and I would LOVE a family closet! I saw it once on the Duggars and thought it was a great idea!
ReplyDeleteAnd I think it is precious that your kids all cuddle together. My older two were in the same for 6 years and when we moved to another house, they got their own rooms. Now my middle boy and youngest boy share a room and my sweet girl is all by herself. She has adjusted but still loves slumber parties!
It is so neat that your kids want to share a room. Just think of the sweet memories they will have of their childhood. We can be too rigid and unbending because it might inconvenience us, but in the end, what kind of joy might that rob our children of. You are a sweet and sensitive momma to support their wishes. It is an inspiration to me. Mine always want to have "sleep overs". Next time, I will think of this and say..."yes!"
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