To share a room or not to share a room. That is the question plaguing many a parent of multiple children in today’s day and age. Modern psychology has us wondering whether or not it will harm the delicate egos of our baby’s, but the space in our homes may limit our abilities to give everyone their own room.

Let me preface this by saying I’m not a psychologist. I do have four children though so some experience with a psychologist may be in my foreseeable future, but I can weigh in on this topic of room sharing to share the pros and cons so you can make your own informed decision.

My two oldest boys (9 and 6 years) have shared a room for the last 3 years. Here are the pros and cons that I have experienced.

Pro: More space!

The most obvious benefit is that it maximizes the space in your home. Instead of losing that spare room, exercise room, scrapbooking room, man cave or whatever, you can keep that space and consolidate the amount of space your kids take up. Of course, you will soon realize that they always find ways to take over every other room in your house so them sharing a room really doesn’t save you any real estate. But in your mind, you’ll think this will never happen in your home. Keep dreaming.

Pro: The Buddy System

My two boys have now become inseparable since they started sharing a room. They’re like Siamese twins except for one is 8 inches taller than the other. Sharing a space can create a special bond if it involves the right type of people. If your children tend to already be at each other’s throats, then maybe sharing a room isn’t that great an idea. But if they already get along, sharing a room will build a stronger bond between them. I guarantee it…for now.

Pro: More exercise for you!

What does exercise and room sharing have to do with each other? Well if you have a two-story home, you’ll be scoring bonus points on your Nike Fuelband as you’ll be making multiple trips up the stairs each night to tell those room sharing kids to “stop talking” and “go to sleep” and “you just went to the bathroom so get back in bed.” This will be a regular ritual and room sharing may very well help you reach those weight loss goals.

Con: Injuries Abound

I can’t speak for those with girls, but with boys sharing a room you’ve just increased the likelihood of injuries by 734%. Two wild things in a confined space for extended periods of time will result in unexpected mayhem. You may think you know every trick in the book, but you don’t. Teeth, toys and tempers will be lost in that room. Just accept that it’s going to happen when you’re not ready for it.

Con: Never a Quiet Wake Up

This may already be true in your home, but when you put two kids together they never can wake up quietly. My children know not what a whisper is and they’ve yet to learn how to be sneaky when going down the stairs. When one kids wakes up, the other one will be up seconds later. Thus creating a tandem of tumultuous activity in the wee hours of the morning when sleep is found to be most precious.

So there you have it. A few pros. A few cons. The psychological well being of your offspring hang in the balance. Honestly, my two oldest sharing a room has been a great thing for them and neither of them have any type of disdain for having lost their own room which they had before. I’ll let you know how that changes as they approach their teen years.

Let us know if you shared a room with your sibling growing up or what the experience has been with your own kids sharing a space in the comments.