Straight into a bunk bed in fact, in a teeny bedroom containing four beds. Whilst I really don't worry about them sharing a room, them each being able to get time away from the others is a concern - more or less, much of the time. They also really have nowhere to put their things where the others can't get at them.
We are trying to get shelves up for each of them beside their beds. And they have art and things on the walls marking out their special space, their retreat from each other.
We do everything we can to defend those bed spaces, helping to remove sisters who don't respect property rules. Oh it is only going to get harder as they get older and seek out space from each other more often!
There is a small spare room here. Right now it is a guest room /play space, and they take it in turns to sleep on the floor in here if and when they request an escape from the shared space.
I do wonder if this will be enough, whilst knowing that we are unlikely to ever move. In many ways, we have chosen to be poor - at least, we have chosen to pursue our dreams and what we wanted for our children even knowing that the compromise would likely be money. :)
I love their little room spaces, the things they have chosen to display. And I really am going to get around to sorting out shelves for them all. Before Talia moves in. ;)
PS: can you guess which bed belongs to which girl? :)
First bed pic ~ Morgan
ReplyDeleteSecon bed pic ~ Roo
Third ~ Jenna
You might be lacking in the finances department but what you give and share with your children, no amount of money in the world could buy.
Love to you
San xx
Great guesses San! You're entirely right. :) And than you for the compliments, I sincerely hope they will think so themselves some day.
DeleteI can guess bedspaces, but that's a little like cheating since I spend quite a bit of time at yours and I was there when they painted their canvases. But I reckon it goes like this:
ReplyDeleteMorgans
Rowans
Jennas
Jennas
Cheating - or a very good memory. :) Yep!
DeleteI grew up in a 2 bed council house with my Mum and Dad and 3 siblings and I don't feel at all hard done by. My parents slept on a pull out bed for 8 years and were offered a 4 bed house when I was 16 (I was the eldest but I moved out at 17 lol). The fact is unless you are seriously loaded you never have enough space because you just spread your stuff out further and further. We have moved from a big house to a small cottage (because we wanted to be by the sea) and its a challenge, but it feels like home already, and that is what counts :)
ReplyDeleteV
xxx
Very true - I often say that there is plenty of space for children, it's all the "stuff" we end up with that I struggle with (and I think we own far too many clothes between us, at least that's my excuse for always being behind with the laundry)...
DeleteI love that you are making do with the space you have!! I grew up as one of four kids and we all shared rooms, to me it was a no brainer. And then I talk to people who need a 5 bedroom house so the kids can have their own rooms. But then how will they have the special moments like I had with my sister, jumping in each other's beds during a thunderstorm or giggling up way past lights out? There are cons to sharing, obviously, but so many pros, it's something I'm glad I got to experience!!
ReplyDeleteAw thanks for the perspective. :) I loved sharing with my brother too. I sometimes wonder whether it would be better with a huuuge house to spread out in, but honestly we are so blessed with the space we have!
DeleteHi Arwen, have been reading along your blog for a couple of months and just wanted to stop by and say hello and how much I enjoy your writing and perspective. There is obviously so much love and creativity in your family and this is so much more important than wealth and stuff. Our society puts so much value on the wrong things it is heartening to see people take a different path. Cheers, Lou xx
ReplyDeleteThank you for your lovely lovely words. <3
DeleteYour home looks so happy and full of warmth in your blog pictures!
ReplyDeleteIt also sounds very similar to ours ( in size as well as style:)
We have two bedrooms and one box room large enough for one single bed and a teeny tiny set of drawers for our eldest. Our 4 small girls share the one room.
Like you we have made certain choices which means we've not been able to buy or move and although there are pros and cons to every way of life I don't have any regrets :)
I love how you have made each girl's space specially their own. Shelves are such a great idea! I might have to borrow that one!
Very heartening to hear. :) The shelves we are using are Ikea spice racks, not too big a piece sticking out over the bed and a handy dowel to support books standing upright!
DeleteLovely spaces. We are downsizing with our move and going for a three bed so there will be a girls room and a boys room and our room with the big bed. But in our four bed at the moment we mostly all just sleep in one room anyway. Looking forward to creating special spaces for my children, and I could totally tell whose bed was whose! ;)
ReplyDeleteReading material is a dead giveaway to me haha! It also really makes me laugh that Morgan makes her bed neatly and Jenna always has a crumpled cover and at least one and a half sets of PJs scattered about. ;)
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