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Do Stepkids Need Their Own Bedrooms? 

 May 25, 2022

By  Lori Sims

Do Stepkids Need Their Own Bedrooms

This discussion comes up quite frequently in Facebook groups and coaching. Usually, the stepparent does not feel the stepkid needs a room of their own because the kid isn’t there all the time and that space could be used for something else.

What If They Aren’t With You Full-time

With blended families, we see a lot of discussions regarding bedrooms. For instance, if the stepkid only comes every other weekend, do they need their own bedroom? What if the stepkid only comes for long holidays and a few weeks in the summer, should they have their own room?

Kids And Bedrooms

Sometimes, there are just not enough bedrooms for every child to have their own bedroom. I actually grew up in a home that did have enough rooms for us to each have a bedroom, but my parents still made me share a room with my little sister for a while.

Sharing Rooms Isn’t Punishment

When my son and I moved in with David and his four kids, my son got his own room and his four kids actually shared a room. I know some of you are thinking, “What!?! How dare you make all those kids share a room!”.

For the record, I didn’t make them share a room. Before we moved in, they already shared a room and we took David’s office and turned it into Jackson’s room. Eventually, we finished the upstairs and moved David’s kids up there to give them more space.

It’s Their Home Too

It truly boils down to this… It’s very important for a child to feel their “other home” is their home too, regardless of the amount of time they spend there.

Create A Space

If the child only comes for visits on long holiday weekends or summer, if it’s not possible for them to have their own room, maybe they can just have their own space. For instance, use a partition in another room to give them a sense of having their own area.

When stepkids are in the home every other weekend, or every other week, a more permanent space should be dedicated to them. Even if it’s sharing a room, they at least need their own bed and an area to keep their things. Again, room dividers can create separate spaces.

They Aren’t Guests

Blending is hard. The child having their own space is very important to make them feel as if they are not just a guest in the home.

 

 

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