Downsizing to a smaller home is never easy; yet sometimes it’s necessary. One solution is to incorporate room sharing into your household. If you have young children, this can be a great opportunity to encourage sharing. Sibling bonding is important and can create memories, which will last a lifetime. However, combining two people’s things in one room can be difficult. If you’re working with a small space, be creative, and don’t get boxed in to what you think you “need”. Kids are innovative and, with the right mind set, will have fun wherever they are, no matter what. Here are a few of our tips on sharing space and saving everyone’s sanity:

Bunk Beds

Bunk beds are truly a saving grace. By stacking two beds on top of each other, you save space and also provide an in-room-jungle-gym. If your little ones are arguing about who gets to sleep in which bunk. Make a schedule that dictates when they have to switch bunks. One child gets this week on the top bunk, the next on bottom. This ensures all parties are happy and tucked in tight before bedtime.

Bathroom Caddies

If you have a large family, multiple children sharing one small bathroom can be chaotic. Purchase each child a plastic caddy to store their essential toiletries, such as a toothbrush, soap, washcloth, and let them know they are responsible for their personal caddies. To save space in the bathroom, have the kids store their supplies in their room. This also helps for if someone gets locked out of the bathroom, as he can still have access to his items and can brush his teeth in Mom and Dad’s bathroom. Pro-tip: buy different color caddies for each child so there is no confusion as to whose is whose.

Personalize

Even though your children are sharing a room, they still have individual preferences. You don’t need to cater to your children’s every whim when it comes to decorating, but listen to their requests. If you have two girls in one room who want to paint the walls two different colors, buy two separate bedspreads in separate colors, but leave the wall paint neutral. Both children will be happy with the compromise.