Why wouldn't it be okay?  If kids aren't taught the "hangups" that many adults have about gender and sexuality, it's a non-issue to them. A  toddler shouldn't even really be aware of sexuality at ALL.  My opposite gender kids have always shared a room out of necessity.  My son is now 11 and my daughter just turned 9.  He is getting his own room in about 3 days because we're converting the living room for him but there has never been a reason to question our decision.  The main reason he's getting his own room is because they each, individually, have too much "stuff" and it won't all fit in one room, one closet, etc.

Decorating has been a non-issue.  They each have things they like and enjoy and they both like many of the same things.  They have their "space" in their room, when it was time to paint we narrowed down color choices with them and went from there.

Only in this part of the world are their concerns about siblings of opposite genders sharing a room.............

DestMasters Feb. 4, 2009 at 10:13 AM

Little kids it should be a no brainer that they can share a bed room.  Look at really poor countries where everyone lives in 1 room.  Do they have a high rate of incest.  Nope.  Just another example of how spoiled Americans are.

MalhotraFamily Feb. 4, 2009 at 10:14 AM

My children are 6 and 3 (boy and girl respectively) and they recently decided to share a bedroom and make the other bedroom a playroom to share. We put their bunk beds together and other than the initial adjustment period when they would talk at night and keep each other up a little too late, we haven't had any problems out of it.

Honestly, this system just makes sense to me. They have so much more room to play now, and they're not dragging their toys from room to room so that they can play "together" with their own stuff. it makes keeping the rooms clean so much easier, too!

I'm making them keep it this way for at least six months but after that, they can choose to seperate whenever they like. . .  so long as they don't keep wanting to go back and forth.

wallylicious Feb. 4, 2009 at 10:16 AM

I shared a room with my brother on and off growing up. Our kids share rooms and have shared rooms with opposite gender siblings. I think it's fine prior to puberty but after that they need more privacy as their bodies develop.

riotgrrl Feb. 4, 2009 at 10:28 AM

the old military rule is kids share rooms until they are 10 if opp sex. i shared one with my brother until that age.

sweetpeatexas21 Feb. 4, 2009 at 10:41 AM

I dont know what age is right, but I Ive read some sad stuff on another site of people coming forward saying they had a sexual relashionship with their siblings--at a very young age 5yr-8yrs old  that the family knew nothing about... some would say it was a mutual thing, some say it wasnt a so mutual experience.. something like this could happen when 2 kids have alot of alone time together or share a room..

MommaTasha1003 Feb. 4, 2009 at 10:47 AM

My dd is 5 and my twin boys are 19 months old....they share a room.   I live throu Public Housing and by FL law - it says when my DD turns 6 - she needs her own room.  (Thats because I'm living throu the state as a single mom)..

If I had my OWN place....they would still share a room till mommy can afford a bigger place...I mean what else can you do about it....gotta live on your budget.

jmartin571982 Feb. 4, 2009 at 10:51 AM

I think its a standard for adoption or fostering because a lot of kids come from abusive situations, and there's a potential for sexual experimentation, even with young kids.  Besides, if you don't have a seperate room when you adopt, how will they ensure that the child will have a seperate room when it is needed by social norms?  They can't go in and demand that you buy a bigger house 10 years from now.

deltacogirl Feb. 4, 2009 at 10:52 AM

I really don't think it's a big deal at all, but BOY do some people have differing opinions! I posted about considering opposite sex siblings sharing a room when we move, because my DH will be taking a serious paycut when he transfers and we'll probably only be able to afford a 3 bedroom house. A lot of people flipped out and told me that it was against the law! I can't find any such law. My grandparents were only children, but all of their cousins shared one room with 2 double beds- 1 for the 2 girls and another for the 2 boys and they're fine. My mother shared a room with her brother until she left for college and they're just fine. There is no reason that a kid shoud be entitled to their own room if the parents can't afford it. It would be ideal for boys and girls to have seperate rooms when they get to be older but, even then, it doesn't seem necessary to me- if you can't afford it, you just can't afford it. People need to live within their means. I think there are some universal guidelines when it comes to adopting or fostering children that say that opposite sex kids can't share the same room past the age of 6, which I guess is more understandable because so many kids in the system have been abused and exposed to all sorts of inappropriate behavior. Other than that, I don't see ANY reason why toddlers of opposite sex shouldn't be allowed to share a room!

winkie_pinkie Feb. 4, 2009 at 10:53 AM

   I don't see a problem with it at all, until they are teens.   Why, there are nudist colonies all over the united states, and in those places different gender siblings sharing a room not even something they think about as a "problem", bodies are bodies and it's not the least bit of an ordeal to the nudists.   I doubt sexuality is even something that nudists discuss with their children, until absolutely necessary.   And yes I've visited one on two occasions (as a young child, and as an adult)...and yes they are very laid back about their bodies.   So, now... if only we could ease American minds about this issue.

Yrsa Feb. 4, 2009 at 11:00 AM