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Tuesday
Apr072009
Bunking
In the cabin that my grandfather built, there is a bedroom downstairs for the grandparents and then there is an open loft upstairs with...(counting)...seven beds, a mix of doubles and singles, that can sleep eleven or more. Plus a crib or two.
On summer evenings, all the cousins would be put to bed upstairs at the same time and grandpa would tell a story about Billy Johnson the pioneer boy and Tokonebo his Indian friend. He would tell it....very...slowly....with many...breaks...so we...would {ideally}...drift off...to....sleep. Then (if you outlasted Grandpa's storytelling) you could eavesdrop on the grownups and their games for hours into the late evening. As you can imagine, I gleaned a lot of knowledge from words drifting their way up to the loft: On life, loving, fighting, sex, living, religion, politics, other perspectives, and always humor.
Later, all the grownups would climb the big wooden staircase, find their beds, (some of them) snore, and sleep. All of us in one big cozy dorm-style room.
All of this is just to say: I'm a fan of that kind of situation, bunking together. At least in theory.
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In our current house, we have a strange set-up. There are two master bedrooms (don't know why...one has a big room + sitting room and the other has a big room + master bath) and two itty bitty bedrooms. Currently, G and I use the master bedroom with the master bath, the girls each have a tiny bedroom, and Sam uses the "sitting room" for the other master bedroom while we use the room itself as a study/studio/craft/guest room.
I'm itching to shake things up and one option is to have the kids (or at least the girls) move into the other master bedroom, dorm-style. They have had their own rooms for several years but part of me thinks/wishes that they would be closer if they were sharing a room for these last few years before they move away and do separate things. But I realize I may be living in my own glowing la-la land where kids make their beds and talk late into the night about sisterly things.
Did you share a room growing up? What are your opinions on bunking together? In favor? Against?
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Reader Comments (10)
We are HUGE fans of the bunking together. Not only does it force the siblings to be in close proximity at some point in their day (which hopefully leads to bonding, talking, and loving), but it also helps keep each of them out of trouble. Hard to hide things in a room you share, no?
Not that your girls would have things to hide, of course.
But we currently have an extra bedroom upstairs that sits empty because we want the boys to share. They moan and groan occasionally, but I still hear them chatting, late into the night, and it warms my mama soul.
I'm in favor of bunking but I was the only girl (with 3 brothers) so when I turned 12 I got my own room (my brothers probably still moan about it!). I think it's good for kids to share rooms. I wish I had had a sister to share a room with. :)
I think there was actually a study done once upon a time that siblings who roomed together were closer. Plus, good experience living with someone before that someone is a stranger/college roommate!
I have 3 sisters and before the oldest of us reached pre-teen age we were all in the same room. We fought and argued--it was crowded! That said they are all 3 my very best friends. We got split up into a 2 per room after that. I truly hated my sister that I roomed with. She's my very best friend now. So it may not be magic in the moment, but there is still nothing quite like turning off the lights and talking.
Bunking together is where its at. When we moved into our house 3 years ago we now had enough bedrooms for our kids to each have their own room. After only a couple weeks though Cole said "I want to live with Ethan." So they've been rooming togehter ever since. Now we have an empty guest room. They'll have great memories being together. I say, go for it!
Hi, I've been reading your blog for a while (my brother got me hooked). You write so well, I love being able to hear you through your words... But on to the subject at hand. Bunk beds. My sister and I always shared a room. I wanted it that way. Even though we are so far apart in age and we didn't always go to bed at the same time I still feel like it helped us be better friends. (And all the pictures of bunk beds are wonderful. How could your girls resist?)
We have separate bedrooms for the boys but they always sleep in the same room...I've finally given up and we got a blow-up mattress so one doesn't have to sleep on the floor. We should just really make them share a room, but haven't.
Jen
Hey Annie, sorry I've been lurking lately. I join the others as a fan of bunking. I remember Josh (Halverson) telling us once about single rooms that "nobody needs that much privacy." I thought it was a good policy plus I like that my boys like being together. Currently Matthew and Will are together and Joseph has his own but we are thinking about putting all three together to help Joseph sleep except it's a little tight. In my young years I shared with my brothers (little sis is 10 years younger than me so brothers were all I had). When my parents finally moved me into my own room, for quite a while I dragged my sleeping bag in to Steve's room and slept on the floor next to his bed.
AND (trying to make up for my lurking) I love built in beds too and your pictures are fabulous and inspiring. Now I just need a cottage on the coast or cabin in the forrest.
my kids refuse to sleep alone, the two that have theri own room are always sleeping on the floor of the other 4-- in fact I took photos just for blogging purposes last week. So, I vote yes! And I love your bunks of choice!
Lovely bunk pictures! I love them all!
(And I love the loft at Wildwood--for all the same reason's you love your Grandparents.
Currently I have 3 boys in one room because there isn't any other option.
It is a love/hate relationship for me.
(They NEVER go to sleep.)
That's the love AND the hate.
(And no matter what we try, it's always a terrible mess...)
But, I think when all is said and done, it will have been a very good thing, and one they will reminisce about for years to come.
I would totally encourage your girls to do it!