9 yr old son and 15yr daughter sharing same bedroom

[kazza]

Hi, can anyone please advise me regarding acceptable sleeping arrangements for my son and daughter when they have overnight contact with there Father. I recently seperated from my husband and currently going through divorce proceedings. He has recently moved in with his current partner who lives in a 2 bedroom house. My daughter currently sleeps on a settee or matress in the living room which he says is a temperary measure and that a bunk bed has being orderd. Is this acceptable and also when the bed arrives is it ok for a 9 year old boy (10 in April ) and a 15 year old girl (16 in May) to share a bedroom.

I look forward to hearing from you

[Suzie, FRG Adviser]

Hi Kazza

Welcome to the board.

You raise an interesting question, but not one where there are hard and fast rules. In an ideal world, both children would have their own bedroom when they go to sleep at their father's address. However, since this does not seem possible, you would really need to check out what house rules are in place for the two of them.

Some people take a more relaxed view when it comes to siblings sharing a room. You may want to check out the following. For instance, does either your daughter or son have to leave the room while the other one is getting changed. Presumably, they have different bedtimes.

Perhaps you should discuss your concerns with your ex partner, so at least you are raising the issue from an early stage, and confident they will consider addressing it now. You could ask them to monitor the situation, as far as possible, to see that the sleeping arrangements continue to be appropriate for both children.

I hope this helps.

Best Wishes

Suzie